


Thermal Equilibrium

by Certified_Milkdrinker



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Heterosexuality, My First AO3 Post
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:21:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 33,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29735178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Certified_Milkdrinker/pseuds/Certified_Milkdrinker
Summary: A higher temperature object which is in contact with a lower temperature object will transfer heat to the lower temperature object. The objects will approach the same temperature, and in the absence of loss to other objects, they will then maintain a constant temperature. They are then said to be in thermal equilibrium.______________________________________________________Junkrat + Mei. Mostly Junkrat's POV, occasionally Roadhog and Mei as well. Hetero. Quite in character. Humor. Comfort. From first meetup. Male virginity. Bromance. No violence, no blood, no death, nothing kinky, everything will turn out well. I'm still working on the last few chapters./I've been playing OW ever since it came out, so contains lots of game references/If you just want MeixJunkrat stuff, skip the first 2 chapters, she appears in chapter 3.
Relationships: Junkrat | Jamison Fawkes/Mei-Ling Zhou
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. Roadhog loses his cool

Nights surely feel incredibly long when one can’t sleep. Loneliness and silence smothers everything like a thick blanket, and the thought alone that others dream without a care in this world is enough to drive an insomniac crazy. Junkrat hated the nights, the darkness, the stillness, but he had to stay alive until dawn. He only felt safe in the light, where he could see and fight. He never missed to wait for the first rays of the Sun with open eyes. When he saw the curtain of darkness in the horizon changing to a tamer shade of black, he got up, and waited for others to wake. Anyone is good. Just a single living soul he could greet with a cheery ‘good morning’ - a proof that another dreadful night has ended. He would just take a little nap or two later in the day... or rather just collapse from the exhaustion when everyone is awake and wanders around, in broad daylight and safety. Too bad usually nobody was there for him, except for, well, only one person, if you could call him that. He liked when Roadhog reads old magazines next to him, the small noise he makes by fumbling around with the pages, while the Sun shines brightly above their heads…Just the thought made him sleepy. But he could not keep his eyes closed, and waited for the sunrise.

-Good morning, Roadie!- he greeted his friend a few hours later, maybe a little earlier and more eager than he should have. He just couldn’t wait any longer to break the curse that starts every evening. He was already all delirious and agitated- if he had a tail, he would wag it.

-Ya look like shit.- Roadhog growled as a greeting to his friend. The addressed jumped up from where he sat, stirring up a cloud of dust coming from his pants, a frown on his grimy face:  
-Me? I am sophisticated and irresistible as always!- he spat out, his left eye twitching a little.  
-Sure- the pigman grunted and took a gander at Junkrat. He was never someone who attracted the looks of the opposite gender, but in the past months, he started to look even crappier. His entire body was covered by soot, gunpowder, grease, blood, sweat and God knows what other substances that stuck to his skin in the Australian outback. Water was scarce, they often went weeks without even being able to at least wash their hands and faces. He couldn’t even remember the last time they had a shower. He still had his upper body muscles that grew from his determination to survive in this damned world, but he was so lean as if something was literally eating him up from the inside. Staying alive in Australia was an achievement by itself, but this crowned by running from a vast array of enemies and opportunists, and of course, law itself was inhumane. Roadhog was thinking in silence as always, grunting ever so often when he came to a conclusion. A loud huff - This life certainly didn’t worth the goods Junkrat promised to him. He wasn’t sure if he cared about the loot anymore; things sure have changed a lot during his lifetime, even though he wasn’t old. He missed his friends, family and his little farm, but staying within the realm of possibilities, he missed going to sleep with the certainty that his head will be still attached to his spine by morning. Another, long grunt, almost like a sigh, it couldn’t even avoid Junkrat’s attention.

-Wot’s grinding yer gears, Hoggy?- the younger man asked cheerfully, nonchalantly digging up the nearby area with a stick to keep his hands busy.  
-Do you want to die? Because this is how you fuckin’ die. -he wheezed after a moment of silence.  
-Wuzzat?- his friend turned towards him, having his full attention.  
-How long do we want to keep doing this? -he groaned, snatching the stick from Junkrat’s hand, snapping it in half with his fingers.  
-Err… Do wot? I’m digging for bugs, but if it annoys you so much, I can try to trap something larger instead- he pretended he doesn't understand him by playing the stupid. He was very good at it, but Roadhog knew him too well to get fooled by this - he saw through him like glass.  
-I want my share. You got 24 hours - he bellowed, grinding the sticks into sawdust in his fist. Even under the layer of dirt, he could see his friend’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. He pulled his lips into a wide grin, revealing some golden teeth glinting in the hot, morning Sun.  
-Yer 40% share of me spoils, huh?- Junkrat started to speak, but his words quickly distorted into whimpering when Roadhog squeezed on his arm as easily as if it was the stick from before.  
-Tired of your shit, bro - he yanked on the lean man’s good arm so firmly that the flesh made a sound. They had this conversation a few times before, but his partner in crime always weaseled his way out somehow. But not this time. He won’t budge.  
Junkrat looked at his mask, then at his arm, then at his mask again. He also knew Roadhog too well to press the matter any further, not risking the possibility of losing his only remaining arm. He took a deep breath, and continued on a more sincere tone in a gentler voice.  
-Listen mate. Bro. If we separate, I die fo sho. Probs you too. – he spoke, and felt the grip on his arm loosening a bit.- How ‘bout a new deal that will help us both?

The giant released him with a grunt and turned away from him.  
-Let me think. - he said and sat down in the red sand beneath his foot. Truth to be told, he didn’t want to leave Junkrat for dead. The older he got, the softer he became and he took a liking of the young guy. Sometimes he even felt like a good uncle, who wanted his nephew to succeed. He didn’t want to acknowledge it, but he wanted him to be happy, since he couldn’t get this gift for himself anymore. He also became a firm believer that this so called ‘treasure’ he keeps blabbering about only exists in his imagination.  
-Rrrrroadieee, I found a centipede, breakfast is rrrready – he heard his voice chime from a distance and his giggling filled his ears. He grunted again; which one of those trickster gods allowed an adult man to be this cute? No. This dude cannot die - not on his watch, he won’t let this happen. But how would it be possible to stay alive, who could offer them protection, food, shelter, even if they have to break a law or two to get things work? Joining the French Foreign Legion… or a terrorist organization perhaps? No, that is just dragging out the painful, inevitable end. He had no idea what to do - all he knew is that they need a plan as soon as possible. A real one this time... He wanted the best option for Junkrat - he didn’t want this ball of sunshine fade away. He glanced at the man behind him once more: black bags under his eyes, patches of hair missing from his scalp, his body broken, besmirched and bruised, but the fire inside alive as ever.

\- Roadie, I cut the centipede in half, if ya don’t come roight now, ya have to eat its lower part! Ya wanna eat centipede butt? Bet it’s full of poop- he chirped.  
-Not hungry- he lied, and reached to his collection of old magazines he kept in the trunk of his bike. He cherished those faded, yellowed pages more than anything; they were the tangible and palpable proof that a long-long time ago, this world was normal. That he just didn’t dream it all. That the people printed on those pages were living, breathing beings like him. He randomly grabbed one from the pile; he could tell it by the touch that it was a relatively newer issue, not so torn yet, about 12-15 years old. His heart sunk when he thought about this - wasn’t that long ago, yet it still felt like a different world, and things weren’t so bad back then. He opened the magazine at the page where it was worn out the most, and his eyes focused on the bold letters that made up the article’s title: Hope for Humanity? An Overwatch interview. He started to read the text, almost unable to grasp what it said. His brain momentarily only registered the single word they needed: Gibraltar.  
-Junk.  
-Wuzzat, Pigface?  
\- We’re going to Europe.

...

-Wait a second. Ya say I’m not the boss anymore and you have a plan?  
-*one single nod*  
-And this genius plan could save our asses?  
-* another nod*  
-But what? And how? And why? Oh boy, I’m getting so excited! - he broke out in manic laughter.  
-If you want to live, you do as I say, but you say nothing, clear?  
Now it was Junkrat’s turn to nod. He made a zipper gesture and signed OK with his hand, and screamed:  
-I’m so curious what plan you’ve got there, Hog, tell me, tell me- he squealed.  
-IF YOU DON’T SHUT UP, I WILL TEAR OUT YOUR TONGUE AND SEND IT NEXT TO THAT HALF-DIGESTED CENTIPEDE IN YOUR STOMACH- Roadhog bellowed his final warning, and went on when he could hear nothing but the whimpering that came from behind Junkrat’s trembling hands that covered his lips.  
\- We hitch a ride on a cargo boat that sails to Spain. We hide in the hull until we get there. We put on inconspicuous disguises, and start an investigation. No more questions until then.  
-*vigorous nodding*  
\- We have to lay lower than ever. Our faces are plastered all across the world thanks to your ‘genius plans that will surely work’. If we meet other people, we’re foreigners, who don’t speak English. No talking. No eye contact. No winking at females– you freak them out anyway. And lastly, but most importantly: no sightseeing, clear?  
-Clea…-Junkrat wanted to say, but taking a glance at Roadhog’s eyes behind the glasses of his mask made him raise his thumb instead.

***

Nobody dared to bat an eye on the massive, tall lady who wore a long, purple dress and whose face was hidden behind a headscarf and sunglasses. She pushed her disabled son in a wheelchair in front of her. Saliva was dripping from the corner of his mouth, pooling at the top of his buttoned shirt. His lower half was covered with a tartan blanket to keep his rigid body warm. A knitted hat haphazardly pulled on his head, slightly covering his left eye - the other one gazing into the abyss. It was such a disheartening sight that nobody wanted to be rude and give them more than a passing glance. They turned into a small alley devoid of humans, where the fat lady looked around and spoke:

-You’re pretty good. But remember, if you blow it, I will tie you to this wheelchair and punt you into the sea – she whispered in a deep voice.  
-But Roadie, why do I have to be disabled? -a faint whine came from the boy’s mouth, lips barely moving.  
-Your gait alone would blow our cover, not to mention your leg. How many people do you see running around on makeshift pegs? Also, don’t forget you can’t talk- he added, and pat the younger man’s head when he signaled that he got the message by letting his tongue lifelessly dangle at his mouth  
-You’re so good at this. I guess because you don’t have to act out of character, ha ha - he chuckled at his own joke.  
-Says the one who only had to put on a dress and instantly turned into a woman, because he already had the tits and ass for that - a barely audible whisper came from the wheelchair.  
They roamed around like this for hours at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. Thankfully, the territory of Gibraltar wasn’t too big, they were used to scout in much larger areas than this. Yet there was not a single sign that they should be hopeful of finding anything. Roadhog mentally started to prepare himself that the plan will fail here. All his knowledge about Overwatch was outdated. The freshest pieces of information were a decade old, and even though one could hear rumors spread about them, what if they were false and Overwatch really is no more? What if they are still at work, but abandoned this post and are stationed somewhere else? What if the agents are here, but they will never find them? No-that’s impossible. He was too experienced to make mistakes like this. If there was just one single veteran Overwatch member here, his eyes will spot them immediately. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a giant man in the crowd. He recognized him instantly from his enormous, muscular form – he has seen his face in an old magazine about the German Armed Forces, just much younger. He used to be a crusader – there’s no way it’s a coincidence he’s here. He was even taller than Roadhog, and even though he tried to blend in the crowd as a tourist by wearing a floral shirt and shorts, he was sticking out like an obelisk in the desert.  
-Reinhardt- he mumbled, and with a surprisingly fast pace, he went after the giant. When he caught up with him, he pat the big guy on the back, and shoved a business card in his hand:

“Hello. I can’t speak English, so this is a pre-written message from my attorney. We came from a very far country, because my severely disabled son needs a medical treatment in Europe. It is very expensive, and we would appreciate if you could help us cut the expenses by offering a place where we could spend the night. Thank you very much “

-Of course, My Lady! - Reinhart performed a little bow and cleared his throat. -Oh, you can’t understand me. Sprechen Sie Deutsch? … Nein? Haha, was worth a try though. I mean, yes, I can help you I think! - he boomed, and leaned down to try to kiss Roadhog’s hand, but he changed his mind when he saw the thick layer of dirt on his fingers and nails. So, he shook the ‘lady’s’ hand instead, wiping his palm in his shorts afterwards. He gestured they should follow him. They walked for quite a while, longer than for an hour, and the blue sea was getting visible on the skyline. They reached the rock of Gibraltar, and they were surrounded by cliffs and stones everywhere, but no sign of a military facility whatsoever. Could it be that there is a hidden entrance carved in the mountain, leading to the secret Overwatch base? In that moment, they saw Reinhardt moving one of the giant boulders to the side as easily as if it was made of cardboard.

-Err… Plastic! Kunststoff! Not real! - he knocked on the seemingly solid rock, the sound revealing it was hollow on the inside. He used a chip to open the metal door that became visible buried in the cliff, and a tunnel appeared behind it. The ceiling was so low they had to slouch- or maybe it was just made for normal humans not exceeding 7 feet.  
-May I? -Reinhart gestured that he wanted to carry the wheelchair on the narrow hallway stairs leading downwards to the center of the rock. But Roadhog shook his head, and tucked Junkrat under one of his arm, the wheelchair under the other as if they weighed nothing.

-Starke Frau…-Reinhart murmured in surprise. They only walked a few minutes or so, when they could hear running footsteps and panting coming from the other end.  
-Hands up! Reinhardt! You okay? - Jack Morrison’ s voice filled the air of the dimly lit tunnel.  
-Yes, why wouldn’t I be? - came a loud, cheerful reply from the giant German man.  
-All the alarms went out; the built-in metal detectors signaled the presence of weapons. - Morrison cried from the distance.  
-Ah! Yes, stupid machine. Must have went off because of the wheelchair.  
-A wheelchair? – Jack’s voice boomed from closer and closer.  
-And… a disabled boy in it!  
-What the hell? - the bellowing coming from the commander’s throat was in dangerous proximity and he sounded quite annoyed already.

-...And…and his poor mother! - Reinhardt started to stutter a bit. -Hands up! All of you! YES, EVEN YOU, WILHELM! – the commander howled fearing his German colleague will ignore the clear instructions.  
-But…They don’t speak English and the boy is immobile! – the buffy man replied, throwing his hands up in the air.  
The answer came in the sound of at least three guns cocking at the same time. The menacing silhouette of Jack Morrison was right in front of them, closely followed by a dwarfish, but muscular guy with metal arm, and a young man chewing on a burnt cigar, wearing the outfit of a cowboy. To Reinhardt’s surprise, his guests both raised their hands, the gesture contradicting all his previous knowledge – so confusing!  
-Reinhardt, you can’t be doing this! Stop carrying err… organic materials to our base! You started with a blind kitten, then a lost dog, now it’s a retarded boy? – Torbjörn shook his head.  
-I am not retarded! - a high pitched voice protested from under the woman’s arm.  
-Yes, you are- the enormous lady sounded like a man, who must have switched disguises when no one was looking, since she was wearing a black gas mask with a pig’s snout.  
-Hmm, looks like our friend might have skipped a level of gullibility, and brought two Talon spies to our doorstep. - McCree spun his gun around his index finger.  
-Do you really think Talon agents have crude methods like this? – the short man argued, and looked at his boss.  
\- No… They seem familiar…- Morrison growled. -I think they are wanted criminals - I remember seeing their faces in one of the crime reports.

-Ach, mein Gott! Criminals?!-Reinhart gasped and crackled his knuckles menacingly.  
\- Yeah, but nothing too serious – Jack rolled his eyes behind the mask of Soldier76 - It’s just mostly stealing everything that glitters, blowing up the building in the process. Property damage. No affiliations.  
\- Phew, I was afraid it’s something very bad, like mass manipulation, media hacking or tax fraud! - the big German guy laughed in relief.  
-Hey! Stop diminishing my achievements! – the smaller guy shook his metallic fist angrily.  
\- I don’t. Some good old-fashioned bandits, like in those western movies!- McCree smiled, scanning the newcomers’ faces with curiosity. -Train robbery perhaps?  
-No, but good idea… We robbed a bank once! -Junkrat added eagerly, enjoying that there is a fan of his work here.  
-And nobody managed to plant a bullet between your eyes? – the cowboy let out a small whistle of appreciation. -Hey boss, my vote is for keeping them- he pretended to take a sip from his unlit cigar as he turned around, signaling that he is done with the conversation here. -Nice hand, by the way – he wiggled his own metallic fingers, and disappeared at the end of the tunnel.  
-We can’t let them out now that they know our location. Torbjörn, search for weapons and disarm them- Morrison ordered, as he handcuffed the two ruffians with Reinhardt’s help. The short engineer lifted the blanket on the wheelchair- there was a suitcase lodged under the seat, chock full of makeshift weapons and improvised explosive devices.  
-See? Told you my metal detector was right! Arms! - he dug his fingers in the loot.  
-Do you want to lose your other hand? – Morrison bellowed at him from the top of his lungs. -Take the item as far as possible and dispose of its contents! – he screamed so loud that the entire tunnel echoed.  
-NOO! DON’T KILL MY BABIES! I BUILT THEM WITH MY OWN TWO HANDS! -Junkrat cried, falling to his knee…I mean, with my own hand, if ya catch my drift!  
-Hmm… -Torbjörn scratched his chin in deep thought, eyeing the arsenal, but carried the box outside anyway.  
-You two- Morrison barked his next order to the Australians – You follow me, Reinhardt closes the line. We walk until we reach a doorway that is a metal detector. If it doesn’t go off, your handcuffs will be removed for a brief period of time. You will use this time window to remove your clothing. Undergarment can stay. You put everything on the floor and the handcuffs will be equipped again – he roared, making sure to keep the crosshair of his pulse rifle on their foreheads.

-And you, Reinhardt, your permission to leave the facility’s premises has been retracted for the upcoming 3 months.  
-Whaaat? Jack, you wanna ground me like a snotty brat? - the German man cried out with hurt in his voice.  
-That’s Sir to you- Morrison aimed the rifle at his head for a second, and turned to the two intruders:  
-Any questions? - he asked.  
-Yessir! - Junkrat raised his voice.

-You got permission to talk, soldier.  
-Wot if we have no underwear on?


	2. The doctor

Junkrat was pretty upset, walking up and down on the corridor wrapped in nothing but a towel with a giant Overwatch logo printed on it. Roadhog was covered in a blanket with a similar design, sitting silently in a chair. Morrison, Reinhardt and Torbjörn were standing next to them. Two ladies approached, an older one with an eye missing, and a young one with long, blond hair. They nodded to the little gathering in front of the big meeting room where they all stood.  
-Emergency meeting this late in the evening, for this? You’ll never change, Jack – Ana shook her head, but her lips were slightly curving upwards.  
-I’m sure we can sort things out- the younger woman beamed, and sent a warm smile to everyone. Even towards Roadhog and Junkrat, who stopped in his tracks seeing the attentive treatment.  
-WOMEN? HERE? I ain’t wearing nothing, my clothes have been confiscated! Roadie, help, what should I do? - the younger newcomer screamed to his friend.  
-Shutting your mouth would be a good start- he grunted as he folded his arms over his chest.  
-So, are we waiting for anyone else? -The older woman asked, and opened the door leading to the meeting room.  
-Everyone present. Winston is busy recovering information about the subjects, but he will send over the data as soon as possible- Morrison reported, and went inside, followed by his colleagues. Before Junkrat could have stepped inside, the pigman started to talk.  
-My partner is mentally incompetent as you probably noticed. I’d prefer if he waited outside while we negotiate. I am his person in charge, and legal guardian.  
-Roadhog, what the hell? Ya will see this on yer paycheck if I ever give ya one, we can settle this like men, ya little...-but nobody heard the rest of the sentence, because his words were muffled by the door closing right before his nose.  
-Ignored like a stupid kid while the adults are talkin, eh? - he plopped down onto a chair on the hallway. But his body instantly tensed up, since he sensed he’s not alone – he heard a noise that sounded like a giant bowling ball rolling on the floor. He looked around, but by the time he processed the events, he found himself face-to face with a tank shaped like a sphere. The contraption declared:  
\- HE SAYS: SUBJECT, SHOW NO RESISTANCE AND YOU WILL BE SPARED.  
-Wrecking Ball? -Junkrat raised his eyebrows in genuine surprise.  
-HE SAYS: I MUST ENSURE TO PROHIBIT YOUR ESCAPE.  
-Wot are ya doing here?  
-HE SAYS: IF YOU STAY STILL, YOU WILL NOT BE HARMED.  
-Woah, this is big, I’ve always wanted ta peek under yer hood! - he took a step closer. - I mean, ta see how this thing works, of course! Cuz I might know who ya really are!  
-HE SAYS: HE REMEMBERS YOU FROM JUNKERTOWN.  
-Reaaaally???-Junkrat squealed in excitement. - Ya really remember me? As if I was a celebrity?  
-HE SAYS: YOUR ODOR IS MEMORABLE.  
-Was this an insult?  
-HE SAYS: A HAMSTER’S PRIMARY SENSE IS THE ABILITY TO SMELL- and with a creak, the top of the ball opened, and a Syrian hamster bobbed its head out.  
-So you ARE a hamster! - Junkrat jumped, and a huge grin was plastered over his face. -Everyone called me crazy when I told them that whoever pilots that thing is not a human! I spent so much time spying on ya, yet even I wasn’t sure if I got it right or not! Actually, I was pretty close to the truth, ‘cause I identified ya as a chinchilla, based on yer size and ear shape from that one second glance I could take at ya when I followed ya once when ya took a piss...  
The hamster broke out in a fit of angry squeaking.  
-VOCABULARY NOT FOUND.TRANSLATION IMPOSSIBLE. - the mechanical voice boomed, and a wicked smile sat on Junkrat’s face.  
-Hah! I can help ya with that! Imma update that vocabulary! Ya will thank me later! - the man climbed up at the side of the ball to saddle one of the cannons with his thighs, so he could pop his head into the cockpit. He filled the vocabulary with every English swearword available, complete with Australian ones. Sometimes he needed a little time to think, and he even made up some on his own. After about 10 minutes or so, when he was satisfied with his work, he announced:  
-I saved my favorite one for last- he smirked, and took a deep breath.  
-DIPSTICK!!!- he shouted into the machine, followed by a small giggle.  
-Hiya Love, language!? - a girl’s voice with a British accent could be heard from right behind his back. He got so startled that he lost his balance and fell to the ground.  
-I’m sorry Love, I didn’t want to scare ya! - a slender and sporty woman smiled at him as she reached out her hand to help him up from the floor. -I’m Tracer! What about you?  
This was one of those rare occasions Junkrat couldn’t utter a single word, just looked at her with terrified eyes.  
-What’s that, cat got your tongue? - a well-built girl spoke from the background, wearing her reddish-brown hair in a high ponytail and laughed.  
-This is not appropriate behavior for new recruits, the attire isn’t standardized either- a young, black haired woman with Arabian features pointed at his towel. - Soldier, I have to report you to the commander if you keep up with this demeanor.  
The other two girls giggled:  
-Pharah, this is his first day, let him be, you can boss him around enough...- the muscular girl spoke, and waved goodbye to him.  
-I see you already got a towel Love, but maybe you should shower first, and THEN wrap it around yourself- Tracer teased him, and elbowed him between the ribs. Junkrat just stood there without saying anything, both of his hands dedicated to keep the cloth wrapped around his hips.  
-Not a talkative kind, and keeps the straight face even in awkward situations like this. We appreciate professionals here, Soldier- the Arabian girl saluted, and marched away to the opposite direction.  
-See ya!- The British girl winked at him, and sprinted after her comrades.  
Junkrat felt that his knee starts to tremble, and for whatever reason, his peg leg also refused to support his body weight. He plunked down to the floor, covering his reddened face with both of his hands. He opened his mouth and let out a wheeze from between his lips:  
-Hamster. Tell me. Why is it so hard to make good first impressions?  
-HE SAYS: NAME’S HAMMOND, YOU DIPSTICK.  
Sometime later, the door of the meeting room flung open, and people flooded out. Junkrat cried over to Roadhog, but he didn’t reply, just walked away accompanied by the friendly blonde woman from before. Morrison waved to him, signaling that he wants to talk to him privately. They sat down in the room, and Jack started to talk:  
-We looked into your data files, and concluded that you pose relatively low risk to Overwatch in its current function, but an implementation of preventative measures is necessary. After negotiations with your guardian, we hereby inform you that considering your violent history, both of you are put on probation for the upcoming six months. The timeframe can be extended if needed, or can result in immediate termination if rules are being infringed, with you being forwarded to the authorities. You gain restricted access to our facilities during the monitoring. You will get tasks gradually increasing in difficulty, so we can determine your skills and potential use for our organization. Keep in mind, that our activity is illegal, therefore sharing information, communicating or contacting with anyone outside of the premises automatically results in termination. Medical checkups are regular and compulsory, any non-compliant behavior is instantly addressed in a written warning and penalty. Any questions, Soldier?  
-You wot mate?  
\- You have to sign here- Morrison pointed at an empty space at the bottom of a sheet of paper. -I will hereby grant you a chip that opens the common areas in the building, including canteen, kitchens, lobbies, meeting rooms, bathrooms, laundry et cetera, and your assigned private dormitory. The number of your room is printed on the keychip. Our doctor is assisting your partner at the moment, but will return to take you to the infirmary, where the first medical checkup will take place. Take note, that aside from medical equipments, all of your personal belongings have been destroyed. Therefore, I advise you to find a locker room, where you can change into our uniform. Take a seat, and wait for the medical staff. Morrison out- Jack placed a copy of the rulebook and contract on the desk, and left the room.  
All things considered, things are going suspiciously smoothly.-Junkrat thought as he sat down in one of the chairs. He bit his lip – probably because the change isn’t as significant as he initially thought. They are still outlaws taking part in illegal activity, just as before, but this time they do it in a more organized way. They are also confined to a small spot at the rock of Gibraltar- barely better than being in jail. Should he be hopeful of the medical examinations? Maybe the doctor will conclude he’s mentally unstable, and he can’t be prosecuted for his past actions of crime. And then, he could leave this place as a free man. No- he’d probably just get locked into an asylum. Or simply go to jail with all these Overwatch freaks, after the government finds out they’re still active. He wondered what are the chances of getting a death penalty in Europe. Slim, but if the crimes are serious enough, why not implement it?  
-Shit – he tugged on his hair with his fingers – talk about a rat trap. He just can’t win. This was Roadhog’s idea for once. Why won’t they just go back to Junkertown, usurp the queen, and he’d become King Jamison the first, so he can do whatever he wants on that pile of trash… Oh wait… they tried this already, but failed somewhere midway. Nevermind. His ruminating was interrupted by a knock on the door. The blonde lady’s head popped up in the opening:  
-Please follow me, I have to perform the medical checkup on you.  
Junkrat froze for a second. He thought she is a secretary of some sort, not the doctor.  
-Comin’!- he yelped, and stormed out of the meeting room, walking behind the woman. They reached the infirmary, and the doctor turned to him:  
-My name is Angela Ziegler, but you can call me Mercy. I will prepare for your examination. In the meantime, could you please take a shower, Mr. Fawkes? The bathroom is here, to the right -she pointed at a door.  
-Yea?-Junkrat replied, and scurried into the shower room. He slammed the door behind him as soon as he could, because he felt if he has to keep up the eye contact with this lady, his pulse will skyrocket. In fact, his heart was already beating at a quickening pace. He even had to crouch on the floor for a moment. When he managed to pull himself together, he got into the shower and let the warm flow rinse his body. Wow, it sure felt nice to have running water in a building. Does the doctor shower here too, or do the dormitories also have bathrooms? He watched as the layer of grime and dirt that covered his skin thinned, and pooled into a puddle of grey water at his foot. Hah, no wonder Angela sent him here before she touched him. Touch him? Goodness. She’s gonna touch him. He looked at the vast array of cosmetics that were piled up in a basket at the shelf, grabbed one and used it to lather himself. He has to be as clean as possible -he didn’t want to disgust her. Fuck. He IS disgusting – the foam turned into a blueish slime on his skin. Rinse and repeat. Repeat everything, everywhere. Yes, everywhere, even there –ugh...you can do it, Junkrat. Just pull back the skin, 5-10 strokes and you’re done and clean. Woah, it feels good – when was the last time he did this? 10 more strokes to be thorough. Okay, 20 more. Heheh, so slippery, so nice. Why is it so hard to stop with this? The doctor is waiting for him. Shit, she’s very pretty... Hm... Just one more minute... Make it three...He has never seen a woman like this before. She called him Mr. Fawkes. She doesn’t hate him for sure. Yeah, countdown from 10 and he stops. Or not. Why does he have to? There’s no point of turning back now. Almost there- nggghhh! ...Whoopsies. Hahah. His face lit up from the relief, just to freak out a moment. He came everywhere. A lot. Like wow, how is it even possible to nut this much? He giggled for a solid minute at the sight, then washed himself again, hair included, rinsed the glass walls of the cabin too. His heart jumped- someone's knocking on the door.  
-You’re taking long. Is everything okay? Do you need assistance? - her sweet voice inquired.  
-I’m done... I don't need assistance! -he exclaimed. (Nyeheh. Not anymore)- he thought, and snickered at his own joke. The doctor’s smiling face intruded his mind, and he knew he should be feeling dirtier than before he got in the shower. But he didn’t. Just a passing feeble moment, and he shrugged it off. Sometimes it’s better to embrace it than ignore it. He dried himself, put on one of the hospital gowns that hung in the corner of the changing room and stepped outside.  
\- So, what’s the big deal of this medical whatchamacallit ya gonna do to me, Doc? -he was back in his element again, grinning wide, his tall figure towering over the woman, hands on his hips.  
-Oh, it’s super basic. No need to be afraid of it. I will focus on the areas I will deem as urgent first. - she spoke and turned to the computer:  
-Athena, please create a new medical file with the name ‘Jamison Fawkes’. Sex: male. Estimated height: hmm, between 190-195 cm. Estimated weight: between 65-70 kg. Underweight with possible malnourishment. Please underline this. Right arm missing from below elbow, right leg missing from above knee, has to be subtracted from body mass, ideal weight calculation needed. Estimated age: Late twenties. Possible signs of radiation poisoning, such as hair loss, needs to be further investigated, please highlight this…- she dictated to the computer, her words appearing as text on the screen.  
-Could you remove your prosthetics first? I would like to examine the area of amputation. -she asked for permission. Of course, he could. Why couldn’t he? He just signed a deal to comply…  
-Hmm. Prolonged and excessive wearing of prosthetics resulted in dermatoses. Dermatitis and ulceration. Athena, highlight this please. - Could develop into sepsis or other life-threatening condition if left untreated. Immediate intervention required. – She stopped, when she saw Junkrat’s jaw hanging lower than before.  
-Don’t worry, I don’t want to scare you with this language. We have very good medications for problems like this- she smiled. -Could you lie down on the examination table? I’ll help, it’s not easy with half of your limbs missing– she held out her palm to assist Junkrat, and she grabbed his living hand. It was so nice and soft, a perfect opposite of his calloused, rough hand. He felt blood rushing to his face from the sudden skin-to-skin contact, but he didn’t flinch nor falter. Good thing he did whatever he did in the shower, otherwise the blood would rush somewhere else. Heheh. He smirked, and for a brief moment he enjoyed she cannot read his mind. But when his body laid horizontal on the examination table, he was filled with unexplainable worry again. He tried to mask it by bluffing, as always:  
-Hey Doc, this thing is comfier than the bed I had back in Australia… Because I had none! – and he broke out in laughter, as always when he had nothing better to say. But Mercy didn’t smile.  
-I have heard from your friend that you can’t sleep at night. Not a laughing matter- she reprimanded him, and for the first time since they met, he saw her eyebrows knitted together in a stern frown at the center of her forehead. -Maybe she’s even cuter like this- he wondered as he closed his eyes, so he didn’t have to stare at the incredibly boring white ceiling. He flinched when she touched his skin with her fingers, even though he could tell she barely brushed it. She touched. He flinched. The small spasms came uninvited and unpredictably. She touched again. He flinched again. -She will notice. I have to say something- his inner monologue spoke, and he opened his mouth without thinking:  
\- It doesn’t hurt, it’s just…  
-I know it doesn’t- She interrupted him, and he said no more.  
Her words made his breath stop for a second. How did she know? What does she know? That he’s not used to make contact with others, especially females? He wanted to look at her, but at the same time, he wanted to get out. Out, away from here, anywhere…  
-I’ll give you this lotion, use it 3 times a day. I bandaged the wounds to avoid contamination. Please replace them on a regular basis, and keep the area clean. Pay attention to good hygiene and remove the prosthetics at least for overnight – she ordered, and he could do nothing, but nod. He will do everything as she says, just let him out.  
-Another thing we have to fix is your sleep pattern and your insomnia- she commented – Could you describe your sleeping habits?  
Junkrat bit his upper lip – he could taste his own sweat on the tip of his tongue. Sleep? What is that even? He opened his mouth to release a flood of lies as he did it so often:  
-No big deal. I can’t rest when it’s dark outside, but I sleep during the day like a baby, so Roadhog can guard…-he stopped, but realized he doesn’t care that much how this conversation goes. -So, the thing is, Roadhog slept during the night, and I was awake on guard duty. When morning came, we switched. Pretty helpful if someone is on the run, saved us quite a few times. He looked at the doctor with a confident smile that instantly melted away from his face when he saw Mercy’s worried expression:  
\- I heard you never sleep longer than 3 hours in one go. Did you know that insomnia is usually caused by underlying reasons like anxiety and stress? – she tried to gaze into his eyes, but he avoided it by inspecting his fingernails instead. He really wanted to say something witty or blurt out a lie, but he just shrugged.  
\- I can give you a few tips. First of all, go to bed at the same time every single day. It’s easier to sleep when it’s dark, but if sleep doesn’t come, don’t force it, just relax and take deep breaths. Don’t panic if you fail, because you certainly will fail often. You also mentioned you’re not used to beds, if it’s a problem, try to sleep on the couch or on the floor, wherever you feel comfy. Try to be fully awake and active for the upcoming day, so hopefully you’ll get tired by twilight. -she spoke and took one step towards the unsuspecting Junkrat. She held out her hand and lifted his chin upwards, forcing him to look at her face. He jumped from the sudden intimate contact; her fingers rested on his bony jaw. His pupils shrunk to tiny dots as he looked in Mercy’s blue piercing gaze. He shuddered even though he felt sweat appearing all over his face. The torture lasted for just a few seconds of her scanning his eyes, but for him it felt like an eternity. She finally opened her mouth.  
-Please, don’t forget that you’re safe with us. You can sleep and you will. No one wants to harm you here, so just relax. We’re all protecting each other. Will you remember this?  
He wanted to nod, but he was afraid if he made any movement, that would just create more friction between his chin and her hand. He cleared out his throat and managed to utter a hoarse ‘yes’. She turned around to sit down to her desk and work on something at her computer.  
-We’re done now. I’ll alert you when the next checkup is due. I will perform a few examinations on your heart. You find some basic clothes in the cabinet in the bathroom -she chattered. Junkrat slipped in the shower again to follow her instructions. Of course he did, who wouldn’t do anything for an angel like her? She’s so helpful, so sweet, so nice to him, the first one in ages who spoke to him in a tone like this. He indeed found a small pile of clothes in the cabinet- they were old, but neatly folded and clean. Not so many choices: socks and underwear in two colors: black and white. T-shirts and shorts in the same two shades, all printed with the Overwatch symbol on them. He went with the classic ‘black below waist, white above waist’ color scheme. He found no shoes though, but at least had a sock on. He felt so much giddier than before, he figured it’s because of the relief that he’s done with this nasty medical stuff, all clean, bandaged and on his way to heal up completely if possible. But as he stepped out of the bathroom, his heart sunk when he saw a man in armor standing next to the doctor, putting an arm over her shoulder, the other on her hips. The woman’s face beaming, her eyes glinting, her pearly teeth visible between her lips – Junkrat felt that he’s seeing her smile for real for the first time. She reserved this smile for special people, not filthy outlaws like him. Will she ever look at him like this? Absolutely not. No one would and no one will. He unconsciously clenched his fist at the thought of this. They didn’t even notice him getting out of the room.  
\- I was thinking we could watch a movie later on – he casually buried his face in Mercy’s long blond tresses as he spoke in a thick Japanese accent. The doctor laughed, but it wasn’t just a little polite obligatory giggle – she sounded happy and content.  
-I’m so glad you came back from that mission unscratched- she nuzzled her head to his chin. Her eyes suddenly took notice of Junkrat standing in the corner of the room, so she stepped a little further from the man.  
-He’s Genji, an…erm… old, good friend of mine! – she spoke and looked at the man in armor. -He’s one of the new recruits, Jamison Fawkes.  
The man pressed a button at the back of his helmet to remove the visor that covered his entire face. It was battered with dozens of old scars, fully healed yet so striking on his delicate skin. But even that cluster of cuts couldn’t ruin his handsome features. His lips were hidden, but one could tell from the curving of his eyes that he was genuinely smiling at the sight of Junkrat.  
-I am Genji Shimada, welcome aboard, my friend – he greeted him warmly, and gave a firm squeeze on his living hand.  
-Name’s Junkrat… I mean, Jamison Fawkes- he corrected himself. -Soooo, I am outta here, I just take my prosthetics, so bye n all! - he grinned, and got out of the infirmary as fast as he could with one leg. But as soon as he was outside, his face distorted to a somber frown. He quickly strapped on his metallic peg and tucked his mechanic hand under his arm to dash, but he couldn’t outrun the pang of jealousy he felt after witnessing this little scene. He forced these thoughts to the back of his head, next to the other nonsense he pondered about when there was nothing else to do. He had to find Roadhog. And a shoe too.


	3. The other doctor

Roadhog was so incredibly tired. It was past midnight - he hasn’t slept in a whole day. He went directly to his room, and laid across the bed. Finally, some good rest. He’s gonna sleep so well now: his plan worked out pretty much perfectly. They are in safety, received medical care and a nice breakfast waits for him in the canteen when he wakes up in the morning. Just the thought of bacon and eggs made his mouth water. But deep down he knew the real feeling of satisfaction comes from somewhere he doesn’t want to admit. The real comfort is that today, he saved someone. He saved Junkrat again, maybe for the last and final time. He is safe now, and Roadhog is not alone with the burden of keeping an eye on him all the time. He’s not his only responsibility anymore, and if they have to go on life- threatening missions in the far future then so be it; there will be an entire crew to defend them. He felt for the first time in years that he can finally rest for real. He has fulfilled his duty, like a father that sees his kid growing up and leaving the warmth of the family home. He started to cough at the thought of this – Yep, I’m getting too soft- he grunted, and closed his eyes to let his dreams wash away these annoying reflections. 

Junkrat was roaming the empty hallways of the watchpoint, trying to find his room. There were dozens of empty and deserted dormitories – he could tell that in the past, this place was much livelier and full of people. He had no idea where Roadhog’s room was, but he hoped it’s the same as his, and they can be roommates. But as he opened his door, he could see it was meant for one person; one single bed occupied the corner. There was a small desk and a locker at the side, no adjacent bathroom or anything. A bag stood on the floor in which he was relieved to find his shoe and cargo pants, all washed and clean. A note was attached to it: “I didn’t destroy your weapons either. If you behave, you will get them back. Don’t tell Morrison”. His face lit up at the possibility of seeing his frag launcher again – he was already prepared that he has to build a new one. He looked around in the room again- he realized he didn’t like it at all. It was dark, windowless, small and frugal – he wanted something spacious at least. He had to find Roadhog, maybe his dormitory is larger and enough for the both of them. He has to be somewhere here – he knocked into the neighboring room, not giving a thought about that it was almost 2 am, and could be anyone sleeping inside, but there was no answer. He knocked at the other door – nobody opened it. He tried at least 5 more rooms that were all empty until he finally heard a familiar grunt coming from the other side.   
-Roadie! Lemme in! – he cried, not caring if the entire hallway heard it. He waited a little, but the door remained locked. He started to bang on it like his life depended on it:   
-Hogface, lemme in right now! -he ordered and he could finally hear a bed creaking and heavy footsteps approaching towards him.   
-About damn time -he wanted to say, but his voice was drowned out by the howling that came from beneath the pigmask:   
-If you don’t get out of here and sleep in your own room, I swear I will tear your tongue out so you can’t wake me up with your whining again. – he slammed the door with such force that the entire hallway was echoing and Junkrat was sure this will wake everyone up. But when the eerie silence and darkness persisted, it dawned upon him that they must be the only inhabitants of the entire block. He felt anger rising in him, but he wagered his chances of knocking on his friend’s door again would result in dire consequences. So, he used his cuter voice to reason with him:   
-What’s wrong, Mate? Don’t wanna be buddies anymore?   
Roadhog wheezed so deeply into his mask that its lenses fogged up in an instant. He wanted to ignore him so badly and get back to sleep, but he couldn’t not notice the small hint of disappointment in Junkrat’s voice. Before he knew, he was out of the bed again, opened the door and spoke:   
-Just let me be. I’m tired and don’t wanna deal with your bullshit all night and day for a while. Gimme a break, find someone else to pester. – he groaned and even managed to slam the door a little gentler than before.   
Junkrat could understand what he said, but he sure didn’t get it. How can someone choose solitude again after they had already tasted the solace of company? When there’s someone to talk to, even if they don’t listen? When you know you are not alone, but there’s someone at your side, helping you if needed? If it weren’t for the empty hallway, he would have kicked something. Is this Roadhog’s way to repay the favor he didn’t ruin his plan with his jumpiness? Wait a minute. Was this his real plan all along, to find others to babysit him, so he can sleep in peace? All evidence pointed towards this. Dammit, he also got tired of his antics like everyone else in the past who spent more than a few minutes with him. He finally decided it’s time to admit his defeat, but maybe it’s not too late yet to fix things. He fetched his blanket from his room and laid down to the floor in front of his friend’s door. When he wakes up in the morning, hopefully he’ll be in a better mood and can continue where they left off. If only the nights weren’t so long, dark and silent… There’s at least 6 hours until Roadhog wakes up. Or more. Shit, staring at the ceiling again as usual and debating with his inner monologue until he’s at the verge of craziness. Hmm, or he could just get up and explore the building? This sounded much more appealing than waiting for the sunrise at this door. He’ll just get back here in the morning. He got up and headed to the direction he originally came from, dedicated to open every single door that his key chip allowed to unlock.   
After some time of trying and looking into dozens of boring utility rooms and such, he found the canteen. Upon opening the fridge did he realize how incredible hungry he was, he just ignored the signs of his stomach. He grabbed some milk and drank the whole carton, then sent a half bag of cereal after. But when he swallowed the last bite and there was no more crunching echoing in his ears, he paid attention to some comforting noise coming from a nearby lobby. Someone is awake. Anyone is good, just to quench the loneliness that lingered around in the silence of the dark. He investigated the source of the sound and he found out it was coming from a spacious lounge room – a common lobby meant for socializing and chilling. Perfect. There were couches, tables, armchairs, monitors, bookcases, and even a gaming corner. But he got quite disappointed when he got closer - someone must have forgotten to turn off the console, because the game was still playing on the screen, but nobody was around. False alert – he rubbed his temples, but decided he’ll try this video console stuff anyway, since everyone talks about it all the time. Maybe it’s good for killing a few hours of the night. He wasn’t big on gaming – the place he came from wasn’t famous for its recreational facilities. He was about to plump himself down on the couch, but just before his butt could touch the seat, he heard angry squeaking that made him stop midway. He looked down, and he finally noticed Hammond, the hamster shaking his fist at him.   
-Yer so small I haven’t even seen ya! I almost squished ya!- he laughed when his brain managed to process what happened. The answer to his remark came in a burst of even more enraged squeaking.   
\- I wish I could understand ya without yer fancy translator thingy… hey, lemme try this! – he snatched one of the unused controllers that laid on the small coffee table. Hammond rolled his eyes, but accepted the challenge. He set up a fighting game, 1v1 so he could play with Junkrat. But a loss streak of 10 against a hamster didn’t do any good for his ego, so he eventually quit, and started to watch him play instead. But he wasn’t the type who could just sit there in silence, he bombarded Hammond with comments and questions - all of them remained unanswered because of the gaping language barrier that divided humans from hamsters.   
-Hey, dontcha have a transportable translator thing, so I could understand ya when you’re outta your wrecking ball? - he inquired, but Hammond shook his head.   
-Why won’t we build one then? – he asked the logical question, to which the hamster first shrugged, then nodded as if it was the greatest idea ever.   
-Nice, lemme peek into the translator ya have in your ball, so I can make a list of the parts I have to steal to build a portable version! - he jumped up, so they could spend the rest of the night working on this serious obstacle that prohibited them from bonding with each other. By the time they were done with analyzing the problem and making a rough and rudimentary blueprint, it was dawning. Hammond scratched his back, yawned, and signaled with laying his intertwined paws under his head that it’s time for him to go to bed.   
-Gonna work on this while ya sleep, little guy! - he waved bye to his friend - See ya at late afternoon, I presume? - he asked, and Hammond sent him the ‘ok’ sign with his fingers.   
He finally had something to do, to keep his restless brain busy for a couple of days. He looked at his blueprints - there’s a lot of parts he has to purloin if he wants to build this machine: battery, wires, circuit boards, processing unit, something for input and output, like a headset with mic will do... But where should he get these from? If he steals all this, those Overwatch guys will be pissed enough to kick his ass back to a jail in Australia...He can just scavenge the parts as he usually did, surely he can find some scraps in a workshop or around the facility. But where to look? Even after his little nighttime exploring, he was quite unfamiliar with the layout. Nope, there is no point of digging himself through the trashcans in the canteen. If he scraps the service bots, he’ll be in trouble. He remembered there was a floorplan hanging in the hallways somewhere- time to give it a thorough look. It showed there is a practice range outside, a workshop, a couple of IT rooms and waste management area – a few spots that could be worth to take a look at. Huh? Practice range? Now that sounds quite intriguing – maybe they have some trashed weapons too. Or perhaps some working ones, heheh. He went there directly, and it exceeded his expectations: target robots scattered around the area that were basically begging to be scrapped. Hmm, maybe it’s not the best idea to dismantle the working ones though; the smashed ones were kept in a container at the outskirts of the area. He dove into the pile of scrap headfirst as if it was treasure – digging through every inch of it, taking out all the parts he needed. Or what he didn’t need so much. Or just anything that looked salvageable. After some time, satisfied with his work, he sat down and marveled at the pile of valuable parts he managed to collect. Suddenly, he felt something cold touching his lower arm. He shrugged it off, but a few minutes later he felt the same coolness on the back of his hand. He glanced down, and a tiny drop of water sat there, pooled between his knuckles. He looked up, but there was not a single cloud on the sky – the morning Sun shone brightly above his head. His body perked up- his gaze abandoned the pile of trash he was so proud of, and scouted his surroundings. Then he saw it – a teeny snowflake drifted towards him riding on the early spring breeze. He watched it as it landed on his shirt, almost instantly melting into a water droplet. He wasn’t a weather expert, but snowing in south Europe shouldn’t be an everyday sight. Let alone in spring. Especially without clouds on the sky. He has barely ever seen snow before – he grew up in the arid deserts, torched dry by the Sun, where rain was a rare blessing. Being lost in his thoughts, demanding an answer, he started to investigate where these stray flakes of snow came from. He climbed up the wall that separated the training grounds from the waste containers. He looked around if his eyes can spot something out of ordinary, just to immediately notice that there is someone on the practice range. A short woman wearing the attire one would use to hike in the fiercest blizzard. She tried to pierce snowballs being launched up in the air with sharp icicles coming from her gun. She missed every single shot - the snowballs turned into white powder upon the impact to the ground. She was talking to a little drone hovering next to her – the robot stopped with producing more snowballs, and nuzzled up to her face.   
-I’m a failure, Morrison was right – she sighed as she petted her small companion. The drone beeped in return.   
\- Alright Snowball, one more try then! - she giggled, and the show started from the beginning: she tried to hit airborne targets with the projectiles coming from her gun.   
Junkrat used this time to give the scene a thorough look. The woman wore her hair in a bun, thick glasses framed her eyes. Even with the heavy layers of clothes on, she moved swiftly and agile. He inspected her body again - maybe it wasn’t just a thick coat that made her look a little plumper. She was indeed way curvier than the women he has seen back home. He couldn’t help but watch her as she jumped, huffed, groaned when she missed a shot, and -presumably- cursed on a foreign language. He inched a little closer to take a better look, still sitting on the top of the wall. For him, conjuring ice from thin air equaled to magic, and he wanted to see every second of it.   
-Aw, Snowball, not much better, huh? – she turned to her drone. -Shall we try something else? - the little robot excitedly twirled around her, scattering a flurry of snowflakes in the air.   
-CRASH. - a thunderous noise came from somewhere behind them.   
\- Huh? Is…is that you, Mr. Morrison? - she stuttered and shoved her gun behind her back. – I was only… uhm... experimenting… totally doesn’t have to do anything with combat skills.   
Junkrat sat in a heap of robotic parts that was not yet transported to the containers at the other side of the wall where he fell from. Ouch. At least it wasn’t a long drop. He just wanted to crawl a little closer to watch her, but the ledge suddenly disappeared from beneath his hands. Now the girl will see him emerge from a dumpster. When will he ever get the chance to make a good first impression on anyone?   
-Hmm… I guess it’s not the guy, Snowball. Maybe it was just some animal digging through the trash- she giggled and turned back to focus her attention to the practice range. Junkrat sensed his opportunity to get out of this situation with as little humiliation as possible. He squirmed his way out of the heap, climbed back to the other side of the wall, then used the main entrance to step into the training grounds. He made sure to get into the woman’s line of sight when he entered, and he pretended to be very surprised when he saw her. He waved towards her from a distance, and watched her lowering her gun in defeat as their faces met, her lips moving silently. Now it’s his chance to enter the life of this fellow human like an average person, and not as a guy in disguise, or an arsonist, or a naked man wrapped in a towel. He had a shower a few hours ago, was wearing clean clothes – he even had a shirt on, he’s good to go. The perfect time for a perfect first impression. He put on his best smile for this occasion:   
-Good morning! I haven’t met you before, my name is…- he held out his mechanic arm to shake hands with his colleague, but he was met with an angry glare instead.   
-You don’t have to introduce yourself, Jamison Fawkes. – she frowned at him, lips and nose wrinkled in disgust. – I have heard everything I need to know about you from the news. – she folded her arms and turned away, entirely ignoring him, just to shoot a sharp icicle into a training bot’s head. He has met similar insults hundreds of times, but it somehow felt more painful hearing it coming from this tiny woman. He was taken aback from the harsh welcome – so much about the perfect first impression. He watched her for a few seconds hoping he will cool down, but he just got more agitated by the sheer ignorance she treated him with.   
\- I just wanna take a look at your gun, okay? No need to kill me, jeez! - he tried to ease the situation to no avail. She didn’t even look in his general direction. He waited for a minute, giving her time to reply, but she was just shooting at the targets with her gun. He has never met with handling like this before - he was used to being called names, getting freaked out by his appearance, being disgusted by him, or people kicking or punching him. But to pretend he doesn’t even exist? That was something new he couldn’t deal with. He walked behind the training robots, forcing her to look at him. However, she was adamant to avoid his gaze and refused to acknowledge his existence. A sharp icicle flew past his shoulders, missing him by a couple of inches.   
-Ya almost shot me! Ya wanna murder me or wot? - he yelped as he jumped farther away from the dangerous zone.   
-Snowball, I’m getting bored. Let’s go back – she spoke to the little drone and turned away.   
There were still melting piles of snow around his foot. He leaned down and picked up a handful, forming an icy sphere with his palms until it became solid like concrete - she had to pay a price for this attitude. He aimed at the back of her head; his arm high up in the air ready to fling it with full force at the unsuspecting woman. But as he watched her walk away, his muscles loosened, lost his grip on the snowball that landed next to him with a splat. He couldn’t bring himself to do it. She hit a nerve – memories from his past flooded his mind: explosions, heists, larcenies and small swipes, too many to count. Roadhog was definitely a murderer, but him? He tried to keep his hands clean, well not literally, but he wasn’t even under warrant for homicide… Or at least not yet. The suit they blew up - he started it, so he deserved it, and it was teamwork...Why not to kill to stay alive? And all those stupid omnics he fragged… they were just talking trashcans with the illusion of sentience. He played by the rules of where he came from, and now he’s playing by the rules where he’s going to, so where’s the problem? He knows how to behave - even signed a testimony or contract or whatever. Did this girl mean that he’s drawing his past along with him that he cannot ever leave behind? That is stupid – he always wanted to go legit. It’s not his fault that he had to resort to this way of life. He never considered himself the bad guy, he just did whatever he felt necessary in that moment. He even had a pretty good idea about the appropriate behavior, because up until one point in his life, he had parents who taught him to...never mind. He has read and seen movies about it. Yet this woman has zero faith that he can do better. What on Earth was this interaction anyway? He needs to talk to Roadie, he’ll know. What’s the time? He’s surely awake by now. Oh shit, he forgot about Roadhog. 

-…and on this picture, I am only in my 30’s. So young, haha! – Reinhardt laughed as he laid an old magazine in front of Roadhog’s eyes covered by the lenses of his leather mask. He took it in his hands with a remarkable gentleness, his fingertips barely touching the fragile paper.   
-I think I have every single article that was ever written about me! Haha, I was quite the celebrity in the old days! – he bragged to the other giant man carefully listening to his every word. It was surprisingly easy to connect with him - Reinhardt was also someone who remembered the previous world, how things were so normal back then. He even fought for it, just like him. Roadhog sighed deeply as he thought about the past – what is even that’s left for him?   
-Hoggy! – Junkrat’s high pitched voice penetrated his eardrums like a sharp needle. -Here we go again – he wheezed and braced himself for a vomit of nonsense coming from his friend’s mouth. He sat down next to him on the couch, way too close to his liking. His metallic knee poked him on the thigh. His hand tapping impatiently on his arm, desperate to have his attention - there was no way out.   
\- Spit it – he groaned to his younger friend, who on a second glance, looked a little off. He wasn’t as cheerful as usually, he seemed like his brain was full of thoughts… maybe even a little sad?   
He played around with his fingers, looking down at them while he talked:   
-There is this girl… - he started, and glanced at Roadhog. He was thankful that the gas mask obscured his facial expressions – he was pretty close to break out in laughter. The idea that this kissless virgin is turning to him for romantic advice was prime quality entertainment. He managed to blurt out a ‘what girl?’, so his friend continued:   
-Short, Asian, with glasses, has a snow gun…   
-Ah, you must be talking about Dr. Mei-Ling Zhou! – Reinhardt cut in, since the description couldn’t fit anyone else.   
-Doctor? Is she a shrink or what? - Junkrat looked at him in bewilderment.   
-No, no! She is a climatologist! Studies weather and whatnot! - the German man shook his head.   
-A scientist? Here? But why?   
-Over a decade ago, Overwatch was pretty big. We had all sorts of departments, and some of them studied weather anomalies. But now she’s trying her hands at smashing evil robots with us... or at least she did until Morrison decided ‘the front lines are no place for a scientist’. - he shrugged, and looked into a magazine.   
-So, this Meiling Doc... she was quite mean to me - Junkrat talked in a hushed voice and moved even closer to Roadhog. Is he really complaining to him about a girl? The giant pigman couldn’t handle this anymore and broke out in a rugged laughter.   
-Did she hit you? Do you need a hug? Do you want me to punch a five-foot woman?   
-She didn’t hit me...Not like that... Like, she said something... That what he heard ‘bout me from the crime reports is enough to know me - he rubbed his shoulder with his good hand.   
Reinhardt promptly came to her defense:   
-Impossible! It is a fact that Mei is nice to everyone! Even to people who don’t deserve it!   
-Then why not me? - he exclaimed as he looked at the two men.   
-I thought you don’t mind what others think about you -Roadhog looked at him questioningly. - Why do you care?   
-I don’t know? I am just not used to being bashed by tiny scientists, I guess. It was different. -he shrugged as he sunk in the seat of the couch.   
-I know what's that, mate – his friend shook his mask-clad head to his face. - It's shame. I’m surprised you can feel it.   
He laid down on the couch, curled up in defeat, his hair and scalp touching Roadhog’s thigh. He only let him nuzzle this close when they were alone in the desert, in their darkest hours. What will Reinhardt think if he sees them like this? Should he say ‘no homo, he’s just my bro?’- but the German man's head was already buried in one of the magazine articles about himself. He crunched his fingers and patted Junkrat on the head a few times - maybe a little more violently than he should have.   
-Maybe she cares? - Reinhardt spoke, as he didn’t even glance up from the newspaper. -As in... maybe she wants you to change ways?   
-But I thought I already did by coming here. I never believed that what I’ve done was bad. I just did what felt right - he mumbled.   
-She doesn’t know that. You want her to understand you? Then prove her she's wrong about you. People change and grow– the giant German guy put down the magazine, and looked at Junkrat. - When I was younger, I was quite the ladies’ man. Actually, I still am, hahah – he let out a loud laugh. -After all these years, I only know one thing for sure: just be yourself, and the opportunities will show themselves, if you let them happen.   
Roadhog mentally applauded to this man. He took the burden off his shoulders by providing actual advice to this pile of failure. He wasn’t sure Junkrat understood it though, but maybe he’ll get it one day. He grabbed a magazine from the table and started to flip through the pages. He didn’t read- he let his eyes wander on the scenes of the past, imprinted on these photos that got preserved for the eternity. He glanced at Reinhardt - he did the same. He saw how he stroke his hand over a group photo – his fallen comrades perhaps? A few minutes later he heard Junkrat’s slow, even breathing - he was finally sleeping. -About damn time - he thought, as he reached for another magazine.


	4. Snowball fight

Mei was watching Junkrat from the corner of her eye as he was shoving a burger into his mouth in the canteen. She was eagerly waiting for the moment, when his façade finally crumbles and shows his true colors. And then everyone will see how it was a mistake to take him in, how she was right, how she predicted it. He will blow something up, any second now… Or steal… Or double-cross them by sending out sensitive data. There was only one problem with her theory: it’s been over weeks since he came here, yet there was no sign of him planning anything like this. On the contrary: he was obviously in his element, enjoying himself, talking all the time and entertaining others with made-up bragging rights and stories. Her colleagues seemed to be okay with him too - whenever she complained about him to others, they just shrugged it off, or even went as far to make up excuses for him, like ‘he’s new’ or ‘he had a rough childhood’, or ‘at least he’s trying to be funny’. On the other hand, she had to accept that he wasn’t the horrible person he imagined him to be. He was loud, annoying, joked all the time, came up with stupid puns, he even pranked others, but honestly, she expected worse from a wanted criminal. Sure, he was troublesome, but far from malicious. He was more of a nuisance than a danger. And the big guy was outright bearable – he was usually reading the decade old magazines and flyers that were scattered around in the building and barely ever talked. They were often seen together, and when not, Junkrat was either napping on a couch in the common lobby, tinkering with Hammond and – for whatever reason – talking to Genji. She figured the topic of missing limbs must be a good conversation starter. He also didn’t react to her as she expected. Whenever she called him out on his behavior, he just grinned at her and tried to ease the situation with a joke. He never even got angry at her. She also seemed to bump into him all the time, even though she wanted to avoid him. After a while, she had the feeling that he is doing it on purpose; to rub it in her face that he’s present, and she cannot do anything. So frustrating, but she didn’t want to admit she jumped on conclusions too early when she condemned him unredeemable on the first glance. There was not much to do but to accept the fact that he’s part of the team now whether she likes it or not… She sighed and watched him as he lifted up his plate to his face to lick all the ketchup and sauces that spilled from his burger. He must have noticed she’s watching him, because he turned to her and waved his hand, his grinning face covered in various shades of juices. It took all her discipline to not to laugh at the sight, but to shake her head in disapproval instead. She got up and left the room. 

Junkrat wiped his face off with his lower arm as he watched her walking out the door. Mei was the only one in the group who hasn’t had a good word to him yet, or at least a neutral small talk. And it’s been over a couple of weeks now. What did the German guy say? Just be yourself? Sounds like the biggest cliché ever. He didn’t want to be on bad terms with anyone here, especially that he was forced to be with them for most of the time. And no matter how friendly he tried to be, she rejected him, just like on the first day. It truly hurt him when he overheard her complaining about his antics to others. It bothered him that she’s so cold towards him, and only him. It pained him seeing her joking with others like McCree, who had little to no appreciation towards her friendly approach. Had she done the same to him, he would have been ecstatic to the extent he’d probably scare her. At least he got more sincere with himself, and he admitted why he cares so much about her opinion. It’s because she’s so indescribably cute with those big eyes, short stature and round cheeks. Who wouldn’t want to get the approval of such an adorable creature? She’s also so smart, she built her own gun! Which other woman would do this? He was still staring at the doorway Mei disappeared at, when he felt someone poked him on the ribcage. He looked down and Torbjörn stood there, holding a box in his hand.   
-You can use these, but only at the practice range, was I clear? – he grumbled as Junkrat eagerly opened the box. -Morrison knows about it, it’s fine, as long as you don’t shoot at others, you get it?   
-Ahahah! My frag launcher! My mines! MY BABIES! - he hugged the box as Torbjörn watched him. He wiped his eye with a tissue at the sight of the heartwarming family reunion. If there was one person in Overwatch who understood the sentimental value of self-made weapons, then it was him. He stepped out of the room with a teardrop in his eye, and let the other man alone to enjoy the privacy with his favorite companions.   
-These past days were so boring without ya! Ya have no idea how lame it is when the only thing ya can pop is bubble wrap! – he cooed to his launcher as he greased the moving parts.   
\- I promise I will give ya a new paintjob after we’ve blown up some robots. I’ve already stolen a few cans from the workshop– he giggled as he dashed out to the training grounds. He was overjoyed to finally fire his weapon after so many days of being separated from it. He blindly threw a concussion mine over the wall that separated the practice range from the rest of the facility. They aren’t live anyway, since he disarmed them before they came to Europe. He wanted to immerse in the thrill of the detonation by playing pretend - he closed his eyes so it’ll be easier to visualize. He pressed the button on the remote as if it was the real deal and imagined the explosion it would make. It felt so real – he could hear the boom, smell the scent of sulfur, and hear the heart wrenching scream of a woman…ahh…so authentic…Wait…Is that Mei crying? Shit. Crap. Fuck! He jumped over the wall so quickly and smoothly as if it was just a picket fence, preparing himself for the horrible sight. -MEI!!!- he screamed at the top of his lungs when he saw the woman hunched over on the floor. He bolted over there in a second, picked her up as if she weighed nothing and dashed towards the closest medic room… until a gloved hand slapped him across the face. That made him stop.   
-Mei? Ya okay? – he asked as he put her down to the ground with a puzzled look.   
-MURDERER! – she shouted into his face at full volume, choking back her tears.   
-Are ya bleeding? Where does it hurt? – Junkrat scanned her body for any sign of damage, his eyes frantically running up and down on her frame.   
-YOU. KILLED. SNOWBALL. - she spat a few drops of saliva onto him with every word.   
-Who is Snowball? – he raised an eyebrow in a comical fashion.   
-SNOWBALL, MY BEST FRIEND, THE DRONE YOU IDIOT! – she screamed and stomped the ground with her feet.   
-Ya mean your…Robot thingy? Hahah! – Junkrat felt so relieved that he bursted out in laughter. He only blew up her bot, nobody was hurt. The horrible sting of guilt dissipated in a second, making room for the immense relief that filled his heart.   
\- And you even laugh about it! You really are horrible! -Mei’s eyes were filled with tears as she turned away and ran backwards to collect the scraps that were once parts of Snowball.   
-Crap. - Junkrat scratched his head as he walked behind the woman, mourning her broken buddy. He didn’t understand anything– it was just a heap of trash in his eyes, yet Mei called it her best friend. What’s the big deal about a drone? Just buy a new one. But he sensed he should say sorry; it wasn’t a word he often used.   
-S..Sorry Mei. I didn’t mean to… – he stuttered and he helped her collect the scraps. – I thought I blew yer pretty face off. So I was glad it was just a bot... erm.. -He cleared his throat: - Maybe I can fix it? As in…putting S... Snowball together?   
Mei shot him an angry glare and snatched the pieces from his hands.   
-No, you won’t! You won’t touch it ever again! - she stormed out of the training area, carrying the debris in her hands.   
\- I guess I really blew that one! -Junkrat joked, but somehow he couldn’t giggle at his own pun right now. 

-Uhm… Torbjörn…Mr. Lindholm, please, could you take a look at Snow…my drone? – Mei knocked on the workshop door that belonged to the Swedish engineer.   
-What?- a gruff reply came from the other end of the room.   
\- I have something that is broken, is it possible to fix it? – she repeated her plea a little louder.   
-Sure, sure, whenever I’m done with the more important work! Just place your item in that pile of other damaged junk. -he pointed at a table, full of stuff that needed repair: a toaster, a hair dryer, a few lamps, an electric kettle, a couple of sweeper bots and similar everyday things that break down in a household. Ugh. It can take weeks until he finally checks up on Snowball… on her item. If he can even fix it. She had to face it was beyond her knowledge to repair it. She was good at tinkering, but rebuilding something sentient from debris was too much of a task. Her heart sunk and she was already thinking of making a little funeral for him. She better go to her room and write a necrology… 

-I’m gonna strangle that dwarf – Junkrat fumed as he examined the contents of the box he gave him. His mines were all live, in perfect condition and ready to explode, yet he could clearly remember he removed the receiver. This is why he thought nothing will happen when he pressed the button on the transmitter. He kicked in the door leading to Torbjörn’s workshop to scream his head off, and he couldn’t promise he won’t stick a concussion mine on his face. How could he ‘forget’ to mention that he fixed his things? As he stepped in and looked around, he saw Snowball’s pieces on the table. He examined them again – not too bad actually, could be fixable. His mines were not designed to deal insane amounts of damage, but made a nice blast anyway, enough to knock someone out, hence the name. Yes, definitely worth taking a look. He shoved the scraps in his pockets and ran to his room.   
After a couple of hours, he was almost done with rebuilding the drone. He turned it on, just to turn it off almost instantly, since Snowball greeted him with a stream of irritated beeps and angry LED-eyes. Good – he remembers him, his memory module stayed intact. There was only one problem: he had no idea how he’s supposed to work. He could recall it would create flurries and freeze targets, but the details were unclear. Snowball was usually docked at the top of Mei’s fuel tank, so he probably needs a refill before he could modify weather. Yeah, that must be it. Hmm, too bad he still looks like crap – teeny scratches covered the surface that he couldn’t polish away, the clear metal surface wasn’t t shiny enough. Snowball definitely needed a paintjob. Junkrat looked at the metal paint cans he stole – they were almost empty, since stealing full cans would have been risky. They were only enough to coat one weapon. He glanced at his frag launcher, its outer layer peeled away in small flakes. Then he glimpsed at Snowball, then on the paint cans again.   
-Forgive me- he sighed, as he flipped the lid and submerged his brush to carefully hand paint the drone.   
-All done. – he leaned back in his chair to marvel at his creation. -Hmm…no, it needs a finishing touch- he dipped his brush in paint again, just to draw on his signature smiley face on its bottom, so Mei won’t notice instantly.   
-Now it’s done! - he snapped his fingers, then wondered how long it will take her to find out he signed her drone, so she will spray her own decal over it. He waited until it dried, so he could take it back to its owner. He knocked on Mei’s door with the widest grin of confidence, even though he was anxious.   
-So, whaddya think, Snow Witch? – he asked as the panel opened up, making sure she sees Snowball’s head before his, because he didn’t want to risk a broken nose caused by a door slammed into his face.   
-Snowball! – she squealed of joy and she switched on the little robot. It immediately recognized his owner and cuddled to her arm.   
-You remember me? – she giggled, and petted him on the head. After a few seconds of celebration, she turned to Junkrat, with a more serious tone.   
-But how did you?... I mean, I didn’t know you’re so good with…uhm…like, robotics…- she stuttered as she tried to avoid looking directly at him.   
-No biggie - Junkrat boasted, puffing up his chest. -Not for me, heh. This technology is ancient. Obsolete crap and over a decade old, why do ya still use it? Why won’t ya get a new one? – he inquired, and was genuinely curious about the topic. Mei shook her head:   
-I can’t, because… I mean…No, I am fine with this model. If it works, then it works, right?   
Junkrat’s mouth opened a little in bewilderment, but all of a sudden, his face lit up and nodded:   
-Gotcha mate, sentimental value. Same reason I wear these torn pants! I designed and sew all the patches. Wouldn’t get rid of them, heheh!   
Mei looked at him, and finally a faint smile appeared on his lips.   
-Well, uhm… thanks… thank you, Mr. Fawkes…-she blurted out, but she was visibly struggling to form these words.   
-Wot? Who? Me? Nah, it’s just Junkrat! Heheh! – he spun on his heel and walked away, but turned around to wave her once more, just to bump into a pillar on the hallway. Oof.   
Mei shook her head as she closed her door, and her little drone excitedly twirled around her.   
-I think you should go back to your docking station – she smirked at Snowball. -So, how was he? Is he a bad guy or a not-so-bad guy? -she asked the weather bot, who answered her question by displaying two hearts as his eyes on his screen.   
-Snowball! You really think so? -she gasped, but let out a small laugh afterwards. – Are you sure he didn’t fiddle with your electronics so you will say that?   
The little robot spun his upper half around its axis a bit to the left and then a bit to the right, as if it was shaking its head.   
-Hmm. I guess he is a little cute when he is not making stupid faces and the light hits his features at the right angle- she wondered. -Please, don’t tell this to anyone, okay, Snowball?   
-Beep beep beep…   
-Oh right, you can’t talk! 

A few weeks have passed, and Mei was definitely nicer to Junkrat. Greetings, faint smiles, a smalltalk here or there. She even asked him once to pass over the salt, and his fingers brushed hers for a fraction of a second while he did so. She didn’t even freak out or say anything about the black fingerprints he left on the salt shaker, just wiped it herself after use. Not that he ever had a chance with her or anyone else here, but it was nice to think about that things are looking a little better for him. Baby steps, but such incredible progress, and all he had to do was just to ruin something, then fix it, and magically he was somehow in a better position than before. He was honestly contemplating applying the same measurements again: 1. cause problem 2. pretend you regretted it. 3. fix thing. 4. everyone is happier than before point 1. 5. profit. The problem was that he couldn’t gain access to any private areas, yet doing so certainly would have made things easier for him. A little snooping around could help his cause. Oh well, the opportunity will show itself, and he has to lie in wait until then...   
But not for long – a day came when most of the staff was out in a mission. Spying on some suspicious activities or whatever, sounded boring as hell, he didn’t care too much about it. All he knew was that there were fewer people in the building, which means fewer potential witnesses. He also heard that veteran Overwatch members had access to the entire facility, and therefore could unlock all the doors. It didn’t take him long to steal... err, ‘borrow’ a certain German guy’s key chip. Maybe one day he will alert Morrison about the gaping hole in the security system that is at least as large as Reinhardt. But not today, heheh. Where should he go first, what should he explore? He looked behind his back and he realized he stood in front of Angela’s room.   
After a short hesitation, he placed the tiny chip over the digital lock that kept the door closed. It let out a little beep, and a green light lit up around the sensor, indicating that it’s waiting for further input. He waved his hand in front of it, silently hoping for that no fingerprint scanning is needed – to his relief, the mechanism beeped again and the panel slid to the side, revealing the insides of the room. He turned on the lights to take a quick look around if something catches his interest. Why the hell did he even come here? He couldn’t answer his own question, he acted instinctively as so often.   
Suddenly, a tiny hint of golden glint caught his glance on the pillow. He cautiously moved closer towards it, until he could see that the source of the glimmer was a single strand of long, blond hair. He reached out and gently pinched it between his thumb and index finger. He ran his other hand through his own hair in deep thought. He was also blond, but his hair lacked all the shine and elegance of hers, definitely not glowing with a golden gleam – it almost gave off an otherworldly and angelic aura. He glanced at the bed; it was unmade and looked like as its owner left in a hurry, giving the impression of a freshly abandoned mattress. He plumped down on the blankets and sprawled his body across them, lifting the strand of hair in front of his eyes, seemingly mesmerized by it. But as the seconds passed, his vision became more and more unfocused and then he became aware of a little night table standing next to him. It was full of photo frames, but he couldn’t make out who were on the pictures. He grabbed the closest one and gave it a thorough look. It depicted a young, black haired Asian man with long lashes and sparkling eyes. He was painfully handsome and possessed all the attractive physical traits Junkrat couldn’t even dream of. He needed a few seconds to process that the boy on the picture must be Genji before his life changing injuries. He was the only member of Overwatch who was more crippled than himself, yet still held on to his former grace. He frowned at the sight of this newfound knowledge, but couldn’t shake off the feel of jealousy it engulfed in his heart. Was he born with such looks his life could have been more enjoyable, if not easier. For instance, people wouldn’t turn their backs on him before he could open his mouth, and females not looking away in disgust the second their eyes met would be a nice change as well. -The doctor cares about you and she is a woman - a silent, optimistic voice said in his head, just to be instantly reprimanded by a louder voice: of course, she does, that is her job. He punched the pillow in frustration, but his action resulted in the release of a whiff of sweet aroma from the stuffing. He tried not to inhale the perfume, but it was impossible- at that moment, it was everywhere in the air. Only in that second did he realize, that he is invading Mercy’s most private place, where she relaxes, sleeps, and maybe does something else too. A blush crossed his face: is this what Genji can smell when he visits her to dodge a lonely night? He grabbed the pillow and lazily laid an arm across it, digging his nose into it to deeply inhale the scent. It smelled like flowers or fruits; he couldn’t tell. Damn, these women here were all so pretty and clean and well fed, they looked nothing like the girls back home. Not that he ever even had a good chance with those, but these women here were definitely out of his league. He realized he’s still holding the picture frame with his prosthetic hand, so he angrily slammed it back to the nightstand. He tried not to think about how even with half of his body missing, that lucky bastard Genji was still more handsome than him and had no problem to approach a beautiful woman like Angela. He hated these intrusive thoughts, yet they danced at the back of his brain every waking hour. But sometimes they just broke free from their confinement to rage in his mind, releasing an ever-growing hopelessness. Desperate to ignore them, he closed his eyes and lightly brushed his nose tip to the pillow, indulging in the pleasant sensation of the sleek fabric touching his skin. He ran the fingers of his left hand across its surface taking in the softness of the material. His face got so close to the pillow, that his lips were already lightly touching it. This new sensation helped his imagination to be intruded by visions of him and her in this bed. His fingertips would caress her neck instead of the pillowcase. Technically it would be possible for his lips to touch hers. A scenario where those lips would smile at him and open up to utter these words: I love you Junkrat. No: - I love you Jamison. This was just too much to take in, and it made him mad, so he angrily jumped out of the bed and kicked into the cute fluffy slippers that stood next to him. He wanted to punch himself on the nose to punish the weakling that lived inside him for even daring to come up with nonsense like this. All of a sudden, he heard distant footsteps approaching the doctor’s dormitory. Every muscle in his body tensed up, as if he was in imminent lethal danger, even though logically it must be one of his colleagues walking down the hallway who noticed the contradiction of Mercy leaving for a mission, yet her door being wide open.   
-Angela? – he heard a faint voice coming from the proximity of the doorway. He just had enough time to take a nonchalant posture, leaning on the computer desk with one hand, scratching his ear with the other.   
-Wuzzat, Snowplow? -he raised an eyebrow at the small Chinese woman standing in the hallway, peeking into the room.   
-It’s Mei and what are you doing in someone else’s dormitory? How did you even...-she tried to speak, but was cut short by the man she tried to confront.   
-Chill out, it’s just me looking for me medical papers, a little snooping ain’t hurtin nobody -he sneered as he yanked out a drawer and spilled its contents to the floor.   
-Oh no, what’s wrong with you? Those papers you just threw around could be valuable! What if she sees this? - she yelped and crouched on the carpet to clean up the mess.   
\- She won’t, cuz ya pickin it up! Nice of ya!- he raised his thumb and his face curled into a grin.   
She shook her head in disapproval.   
-How did you get in here? You should not be able to access any private area- she frowned and stuck the drawer back to its original position.   
\- Ah come on, I thought ya have heard of my crime record, no biggie to make my way into places where I shouldn’t be - he shrugged and plopped himself down to the chair at the computer desk.   
\- I knew you’ll cause trouble one day. Just when I started to believe that you’ve changed- Mei took a step towards him. - And please don’t sit at her desk!   
Her words felt like as if someone stabbed a dagger into his stomach and twisted it a couple of times for good measure. If only he could allow himself to kneel on the floor and beg for her forgiveness! But his mouth had other ideas, and it was already moving on its own:   
\- Why are ya always giving me a cold shoulder? Ya really can’t chill when it comes to me - he jumped up, stuck out his tongue and started to back out of the room, sending a last insolent giggle towards her face as he disappeared in the doorway.   
Mei sighed and tore off a sheet of paper from a notebook. She grabbed a pencil and scribbled a message: “Junkrat snuck into your room somehow. Check your stuff, but I think I stopped him before he could have stolen anything. Sorry: Mei”. She left the note on the desk and locked the door. She decided the best would be to get back to her own room and work on the weather reports. Or read. Or eat a bag of chips. Or literally anything that will help her not to blow up from the intense anger she felt in this moment - maybe it was actually disappointment.


	5. He was himself

The team has returned from their mission by next day around noon. Most of them were exhausted so they stayed in their dormitories for the remainder of the day. Therefore, Mei was quite surprised when she heard a knock on her door around late afternoon, and Angela was standing in front of her.   
-Hello there! - she chirped with a sweet smile on her face as she raised a hand to greet her friend.   
\- Hi! - Mei wiggled her fingers, and her expression darkened as she remembered the events of the previous evening. -Sorry about Junkrat, did he make a big mess in your room? Did he steal something?   
Mercy let out a small chuckle. -Nonsense. What makes you think he wanted to do that? -she raised an eyebrow, the gentle smile never leaving her lips.   
-Because uhm… he… what else would a weirdo like him do in others’ room? …Sniffing around for valuables perhaps? -she toned her voice down to barely audible when she saw the surprised look on the medic’s face.   
\- I was there when he sealed the deal with Overwatch and I couldn’t see him being too different from many of our other agents in their early careers. Most of us have a past we don’t want to talk about, right, Mei? – she looked into her brown eyes as if she was trying to squeeze out a confession from her. Mei didn’t say a word, but held her gaze and just let the doctor continue. – Anyway, the reason I came here to tell you to please help Genji in a… hmm…” side quest” you could benefit from -she paused and scanned the other woman’s face.   
\- Benefit…M…Me? - she stuttered and her surprised expression suggested that she doesn’t understand any of this.   
-No. I keep my eye on you. All of you. -she added, when a confused look started to form on her friend’s face. - If we want to be functional, we should play like a team, and keep an eye on each other. Honestly, I don’t like it at all how you started to blame Mr. Fawkes for stealing. I am pretty sure I know him better than you do, and I have no reason to question his honest intentions. I would have expected more empathy from you -she shook her head and waited for the effects of her words. All of a sudden Mei felt like a little girl scolded by her mother and she started to blush. Angela went on: - The “side quest” I am talking about… Genji is already on it and doing his best for me. I have instructed him to talk about his past trauma to Jamison. You know, the one where in an instant something goes so incredibly wrong that it changes your entire life to the worse and puts your future in danger. I think you start to understand what I’m trying to say- Mercy winked at her. Mei cleared her throat and she replied hoarsely:   
\- You mean... you want me to talk to Junkrat about how Antarctica almost killed me? – she gave the doctor a quizzical look.   
-Exactly – she chimed in a sweet tone. – All of you can benefit if you chatter about your hardships from the past. Genji has mostly resolved his traumas during his time in Nepal, but I’m sure he could use a little extra talk therapy. And you, Mei, you definitely need it. But Jamison the most. He doesn’t have to talk if he doesn’t want to, just make sure he listens to you, okay? – she pleaded, but her tone suggested it was more like an order.   
\- I can try- Mei adjusted her glasses on her nose -but what makes you think that Junkrat will even let me talk?   
By that time, Mercy had already turned her back to her, but she spun around to answer:   
-Well, I have no cameras in my room, but from the clues I found I could conclude that someone who has spent around 10 minutes looking at old Overwatch photos could be a little more committed than it seems. -she let out a polite laugh and soon disappeared at the end of the corridor.   
-Great – Mei sighed in exasperation and rubbed the ridge of her nose where her glasses sat. If Mercy trusts Junkrat, she should as well, even though they probably won’t be best friends anytime soon. She was definitely not in the mood to pour out her heart to a half-stranger with a questionable past. On the other hand, she knew Angela was right and she didn’t want to let her nor Genji down either. She figured there is no deadline to complete this task and surely a good opportunity will present itself in the upcoming days – the sooner the better. But for the moment, keeping an eye on Junkrat sounded easy, especially since he seemed to be almost everywhere she went, or even if not visible, was audible from half of the facility. She grabbed a book and decided she will read in the common lobby room downstairs until he pops up, and see if he can behave himself today.   
The room wasn’t empty of course, it never was. Even during the darkest hours of night Hammond was there, -since hamsters are nocturnal creatures- playing console games alone or with Hana and others. But on a nice late afternoon/early evening as this, it was usually almost too crowded for her tastes. But not that day: still exhausted from the mission, most of the crew spent the time in the privacy of their rooms. She could only see Reinhart and Ana talking and sitting at a table, since they were amongst the few who didn’t go on the mission. She waved to them from the other side of the room, and eventually settled down in one of the cozy armchairs that stood in one of the corners of the lobby. A couple of hours passed in peace and quiet and it was already dark outside. All of a sudden, mismatched footsteps echoed from the hallway, so loud it was almost impossible not to look to the direction of the sound. The noise was accompanied by even louder talking, which sounded like a one-sided dialogue. Mei looked at Reinhardt and Ana, who seemed just as surprised as herself, but eventually they shrugged it off. Junkrat talking to himself wouldn’t be too weird by his standards, yet she still couldn’t ignore the sounds that were coming from him, mainly because of the immense volume. She angrily slapped the book and was about to jump up from the chair to tell him to shut up, but by that time he was already in the room. Only in that moment did she notice that he is not alone at all, and Hammond is sitting on his shoulders. Yes, talking to a hamster was much less crazy than blabbering to himself, she had to admit, so she just quietly sunk back to the chair and tried to ignore the noise. However, due to the volume Junkrat was speaking with, this deemed to be an impossible task. After 10 minutes or so she caught herself looking at them so often that it could be might as well called staring. They were sitting on one of the more secluded couches, surrounded by all sorts of tools, scraps and screwdrivers. Junkrat was wearing something that looked like a sort of old-fashioned headphones. This caught her interest, and started to pay attention to what he was actually talking about.   
…-Did the big monkey really do this? Hahaha… yea, Im boutta calibrate it, still lotsa noise…- Yea whaddya think of this now, huh? …-Still not alright, lemme check…-yeah, I’ve already tried that come on…   
Her heart skipped a beat when realization struck her. This wasn’t a one-sided dialogue at all, she just couldn’t hear the other part of the conversation. The tiny hamster squeaks were not loud enough to be audible from the part of the room she was sitting at. Did Junkrat build a private translator, so nobody else but he can hear what Hammond says all the time? This was the only solution she could think of. -Hmm, this is actually pretty smart- she wondered and couldn’t help but involuntarily smile at the sight of Rat and Hamster sharing an interspecies friendship. As if he could feel he was being stared and smiled at, Junkrat flashed a grin and waved at her before returning to his work to tighten a screw on a panel in his lap. Mei quickly feigned ignorance and buried her face in the book, but it was impossible to focus on the text. She was thinking of her promise to Mercy; she wanted to get through the whole ordeal as soon as possible so she can forget about it. She was a little relieved that based on the grin she just received, Junkrat is not holding a grudge against her. He never did, he never even had a bad word about her.   
-Realistically, talking to him shouldn’t be a big deal, but I overthink everything and my anxiety doesn’t help either – she pondered trying to convince herself. She decided to get something to eat first, and headed for the canteen. Hopefully by the time she returns, the guys will finish tinkering and she can talk to him about her past traumas. While she was making a sandwich, she started to mentally practice how she will start the conversation: ‘hey, Mercy asked me to tell you about my misadventures in Antarctica, because she thinks this will make you happier or something, don’t get the wrong idea that I need someone to pour my heart out, so just listen’ -or something among those lines. There’s no need to go all mushy about this, she will quickly talk about her past, tell him that that’s it, and go back to her room before he could react much. So, if Mercy asks if she did her homework, she can say yes and go on with her life. Easy. She imagined all sorts of scenarios how the conversation will go, trying to collect her thoughts while eating that sandwich and making a tea. She returned to the common lobby about an hour later, but by that time, the scene changed: Ana and Reinhart were nowhere, and Hammond was sitting in front of the game consoles watching Hana playing, waiting for his turn. She looked around for Junkrat, who was laying on the same couch he used before, but covered himself with a blanket, turned towards the wall. His prosthetic arm and leg laid on the floor next to him. Mei wondered if he is only relaxing or sleeping, but why the hell would he not sleep in his room like everyone else? She has seen him doing this before on a regular basis, but had no idea why would he do that. She sat back to her chair and continued reading in silence, occasionally glancing towards the couch where Junkrat was. After half an hour or so, from the corner of her eye she saw Hana sneaking towards him. She looked up, just to witness how the girl grabbed the prosthetics, and ran out of the room giggling. Junkrat instantly jumped out of the couch while letting out a blood curdling scream that sent shivers down Mei’s spine. It wasn’t his normal voice, but something primal, something that came from the depths of his very being, riddled with fear and horror. He tried to run, but he seemingly forgot he removed his peg leg, so his actions resulted in a nasty trip, falling over a little coffee table that was near. Hammond instantly scurried to him, squeaking in panic and tried to pull him up from the floor – an impossible task for a tiny hamster. – You won’t kill me!- Junkrat cried in that same tone filled with pure terror, still laying in the position he landed in. Mei hurried over, crouched down and helped him sit up by propping him by the shoulders. He flinched by her touch as if her hands were made of ice and pulled away from it like a trapped animal being at the hunter’s mercy. He looked at her, her brown warm eyes meeting his pupils constricted into needles from fear. In that moment, she saw it, she saw all of it. The façade she’s been waiting for to crumble all this time has finally fallen. But all that was revealed was a crippled, underweight young man, devoid of all the nonchalant atmosphere that usually surrounded him. The stubs that remained from his right arm and leg made him look so vulnerable, pathetic and defenseless. However, in order to stay alive, he had to pretend he isn’t. But in a fraction of a second the disguise returned - he was back to his usual self, grinning from ear to ear, his good hand rubbing on his left leg.   
-The lil’ sheila returned my prank from a few days ago it seems, heheheh… I shoulda not planted smoke bombs in her Meka- he laughed, and spat on the blood pooling at his knee, rubbing it with the back of his hand.   
-You’re hurt- Mei raised her eyebrows at him, reaching towards his leg, trying to examine the wound, but Junkrat smacked her hand away.   
-Hey, no touching, I’m fine! - he giggled, trying to scramble on his single foot, which wasn’t easy in his current state. Mei shook her head, and tuck herself under his left arm.   
-What are you doing? -The man squealed and froze as she threw his arm over her shoulder. She could have sworn he even started to shake a bit.   
-Just lean onto me, and walk back to the couch- she instructed, and to her surprise, he complied in silence. She plopped him down, and as she released him, her eyes wandered to his stubs of arm and leg – she let out a little gasp as she realized that on closer inspection, they were covered by ulcers where the prosthetics used to be attached.   
-Look Snowpile, even if ya keep staring at them they aint gonna grow back, kay? -he smirked, trying to hide what was remaining from his limbs by slouching over.   
-I’m sorry, I just... -Mei quickly averted her gaze, and pretended there is something very interesting on the ceiling. -Has Angela seen it? -she whispered; her eyes filled with genuine worry.   
-Course she has. I started my career here by taking of all me clothes in front of her like every single one of us, ya know. Hooly dooly was I embarrassed -he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand theatrically as if he was sweating. This earned a faint smile from Mei:   
-She’s very nice. I bet you got medicine and all... - in that moment, she felt a little tug at her pants. She looked down and Hammond was there, holding a small first aid kit in his mouth.   
\- Hammy! -Junkrat cried out cheerfully, and lowered his palm, so his tiny friend could crawl onto it, elevating him up to the couch. -Ya really shouldn’t go through all this for me, I’m fine! - he insisted as Hammond climbed on his shoulder, squeaking something into his ear.   
-Wuzzat? Ya say I look like crap and I should let Snowglobe fix me up? -he scratched his chin with his thumb and index finger. The hamster-human translator was nowhere to be seen, so now it was Mei’s turn to smirk at him:   
-Come on, I know you can’t understand hamsterian. This isn’t what he said- she shook her head in disbelief, but was interrupted by Hammond jumping up and down, screeching angrily.   
-Oi. Now ya done it. He mad.-Junkrat rolled his eyes- Ya really said that mate, right? – he asked turning to the small mammal, and Hammond placed a paw over his heart, rapidly nodding and squeaking, as if he was swearing in a courtroom. Mei let out a small giggle at the sight of this and reached for the first aid kit.   
-Be gentle Snow White, this is my first time – he fluttered his eyelashes at her as he was sitting on the couch. Mei smiled and slipped down onto the floor, kneeling in front of him.   
-Wha…what are ya doing, woman? He stuttered, and reached for a blanket to cover his lap with it. – Woah, I got the chills all of a sudden, is it cold or just me? -he blabbered, but small droplets of sweat started to form on his forehead to disaffirm his every word.   
-Huh? Oh yeah, it’s not very warm here. But if we dare to touch the thermostat, Morrison will scream off our heads. Anyway, I thought you wanted me to bandage your knee? -she looked up at him quizzically.   
-Oh yea! Course I want ya to yes! Heheheh! – he cracked up, but his laugh rapidly distorted into wheezing when Mei’s fingers rolled up the hem at the leg of pants. She looked up at him, his face all scrunched up, jaws locked tightly as if he could scream any second.   
-Is it that painful? I’m sorry- she muttered, and reached for an antiseptic cloth to clean his wound with.   
-YES. YES. VERY. PAINFUL. -he hissed the lie through his teeth.   
-Hmm… well, sorry, we’re not through the worst part yet, so brace yourself – Mei pat his hand that was grabbing on the blanket as tightly as his tendons let him. This made him jump a little.   
-P... please Snowdrop, do whatever ya want to do with me- he whimpered, trying to relax all of his muscles, but that resulted in his entire body shaking instead.   
-Come on, I’m almost done, are you scared or what? - she teased him.   
-Scared? No way! -he cried, and for once, he was being honest. He wasn’t used being cared for and being touched, as his past consisted of running and fighting for his life, trusting no one. Maybe Roadhog recently, but before him? Nobody. He was on his own like everyone else in that goddamned hellhole he had to call home. No human ever wanted to help him and he did not ever help anyone. His survival depended on these unwritten rules of the outback. He wished he could enjoy her fingers brushing his skin gentler than it was imaginable, like a normal human, but his entire body tensed up in protest, trying to block out this sensation. He knew he was in perfect safety, yet there was something ingrained deep within him that just couldn’t accept being handled. -Relax, relax, relax -he repeated to himself like a mantra, but to no avail. By the time Mei finished with the bandages, he was drenched in cold sweat, his pulse rocketed over a hundred, took short and quick breaths. He only snapped out of it when he realized there is no more fiddling around at his knee anymore, and heard Mei’s voice:   
-How did you get these? – she asked, pointing at what was left of his right leg.   
-Explosion! – he laughed maniacally. - How else, what ya think?   
-Not that… the wounds…-she said, biting at her lip, looking at the half-healed ulcers and reddened skin that was peeling away. -They seem pretty bad.   
-Ah. THOSE! He smacked his forehead with his hand and the smile disappeared from his face – No biggie, I just didn’t remove my fake parts often enough, and I’m kinda starting to rot away alive! Nasty, huh?   
-This is horrible – Mei gasped at his answer. -Why didn’t you take them off when you were sleeping?   
\- I can’t… I mean… I couldn’t…-he stuttered. Man, how could he explain to this innocent creature how it felt like to run away from shadows all his life? How he can’t even recall the last time he slept more than 3-4 hours in one go? How he had to stay alert and ready to fight 24/7 since as long as he could remember? To leaving on his prosthetics all the time was a mean of survival, so he won’t waste precious seconds strapping them on? He knew there were no words to describe what he went through, so he never even tried to do so. Not that anyone was interested in it before. He tried to forge a lie, but as he was staring into her dark eyes, for the first time in his life, he couldn’t come up with anything tangible. Had this happen to him anywhere else, he would be dead where he stood. In his book, showing a transient, small amount of weakness could equal to a death sentence. But not now- this was a different world, so he let the silence speak for him instead.   
-You had to stay prepared to fight, huh? -she questioned, compressing his entire life of suffering in a curt sentence. How did she figure it out so easily? Sweat started to form on his forehead- this girl was different. She read him like a book, a feat only few people could master so far. How is it possible, that a sweet, innocent, tiny woman like her knows how Death can grasp anyone it wants?   
-Yer one smart little cookie, aren’t ya?- he grinned, desperately clinging to the wall of toughness he built over the years. -Thanks for the patch-up sheila, maybe ya should go to sleep, getting late innit?   
-If you say Mercy let those wounds untreated, I will call you a liar- she frowned, focusing her gaze on the area where his cut-off limbs ended.   
-Ya still not done with this? -he growled. -I told her I can take care of this on my own, I’m already on it, but won’t heal overnight, kay? It’s already looking much better than a week ago.   
-It still looks so painful. We better do something about it, huh? -she glanced at Hammond, who was already holding a tube of wound salve in his paws.   
-Ugh. Ya two gonna kill me- he moaned and clenched his jaws, but held out his stubs regardless, so both of his helpers could apply a generous layer of healing balm on his skin. 

*** 

Hana jolted, when loud knocks echoed on her door, disturbing the silence of the night. She opened the door and a quite disturbed Mei stood in front of her.   
-Hey! Hana! This was not funny! If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it! - she puffed up her cheeks, trying to put on an intimidating posture. The young girl’s lips were covered by crumbles of chips that flew everywhere as she spoke:   
-Mei, I know you are sweet, but you really shouldn’t feel obliged that you have to defend the entire world. It was just a good old prank on Ratboy, he knew it was coming for him- she giggled, and went into her room to fetch the purloined prosthetics from under her bed.   
\- He forgot he removed these and tried to run without this when he woke up- Mei cried out, pointing at the metal peg leg.   
The mental image of this made Hana burst out in laughter, which didn’t even stop until the other could continue:   
-Your joke drew blood, he hurt his single good knee! As if he wasn’t crippled enough already! - the reprimanding did its job, because Hana’s eyebrows slid upwards on her forehead in surprise.   
-What? I… I didn’t want to hurt him, you know me!   
-I know you didn’t want to hurt him, but if you want to keep pranking each other, maybe tone it down a little… Like… I don’t know, knocking on his door and running away before he opens it!   
-Goodness, now that would be horrible. Horribly unoriginal. Pretty sure he wouldn’t appreciate it either, don’t you think? -she smirked at her friend.   
-Hmm. True. I guess he’d expect more from you- Mei smiled at her, and both of them broke out in laughter.   
-Don’t worry, I’ve got this- Hana winked at her. -D.va knows how to take care of her fans! 

*** 

-Shh…Don’t go in there!   
-He’s not sleeping!   
-Yes, he is!   
-I only need one second!   
Junkrat was staring at the ceiling while he listened to the two girls whispering in the doorway at the common room. He could hear tiny footsteps sneaking up to the couch he was laying on, and the muffled, but familiar clink of his metallic limbs landing on the floor. The sound of the two feet scurried back where it came from, and silence fell on the room again. He reached down, and his fingers palpated a small piece of paper stuck to his peg leg. He was able to read it by the faint light that was coming from Hammond’s screen, who was sitting not far from him.   
“Dear Junkrat, I didn’t mean to cause any trouble for you :( I’m sorry about everything. Can we still be friends one day UwU ? Love, D.va <3”   
His lips curled into a sly and victorious smile as he finished reading.   
-HAAAAM! CHECK THIS OUT! -He cried over to his rodent friend as he equipped the Hamster-Human Experimental Translator Device ™️ over his ears. The small mammal paused his game and scurried over to the man who handed him over the note.   
-Read this and tell me: on a scale from 10 to 11, what are my chances of getting laid in the near future? - he boasted and provocatively stretched out on the couch in his full length, tucking his stubby arm under his head.   
-These Asian ladies surely can’t contain themselves around me, eh? What did ya say? Can’t ya see the lipstick print? Smell it, she even poured perfume on it……Wot do you mean I jump to conclusions too early?... But the plumper one tho, the one who’s called Mei…-he stopped for a second, sighed and continued - she’s a different breed, she cares about me fo’ sho – he grinned, and dreamily started to play with the soft fur on Hammond’s head with his fingertips. He quickly snatched his hand away when he was met with a burst of angry squeaking.   
-YOU CALLED ME A WOT YA LIL TWAT? …HUH? THAT I SHOULD STROKE SOMETHING ELSE? GOOD IDEA! ... HAH, WHAT YA GONNA DO ABOUT IT?... IS THAT SO? THEN I WON’T EVEN KEEP MY HAND UNDER THE BLANKET! …SAY WOT??? …Yea, note taken, definitely gonna add profanity filter for this crap so I don’t have to listen to yer dirty cheek pouches- he snickered as he removed his earpiece. Hammond stuck out his tongue, a gesture Junkrat surely can interpret without the aid of an interspecies translator, and he went back to continue his paused game.


	6. His story

How could she have been so blind? How did she not notice before? She wanted to punch the wall in frustration as she returned to her room. Was she even educated at all, or a decade of sleeping has fogged her brain for forever or what? Everything she interpreted as bullying was a desperate cry for help, but nobody heard him. Not even herself, who should have known better. She was even warned by Mercy - she tried to support him, but she can’t do everything alone, so she asked Genji too. She felt disgusted by herself – she was the bully all along, not him, playing with others’ mental issues. He probably sleeps on the couch in the lobby because he doesn’t want to be left alone, like ever. Or likes open spaces where he can see what’s going on and doesn’t feel caged. Claustrophobia. Insomnia. Trauma. Anxiety. Who knows what’s going on inside his head? Injured both physically and mentally. Did he deserve all this suffering as retribution for all he’s done before? Maybe he did, maybe he did not, but it was not her duty to judge. She had one night to think about what she will say to him the next day, and hope the damage can be still undone. Now she’s going to think so much about this, she’ll have trouble with falling asleep as well.  
When she woke up in the morning, she checked up on him, and snooped on him for the rest of the day. She was waiting for a good moment to talk to him. In the morning, he was with Roadhog, and they were together for hours. The big guy had enough of him by late afternoon, so Hammond took his place. They were working together on some blueprints, looked like Junkrat was analyzing the wrecking ball’s mechanism, so he’d have a better understanding of it. It was quite late by the time Hammond went over to the console to play, so his friend could return to the couch to get a little shut eye. This was the exact moment Mei was waiting for- he's relaxed, probably tired too, in a good mood, has nothing else to do and he’s sitting comfortably. She waved him from the other side of the room to get his attention – he instantly waved back happily. She will give him a moment before she walks over – she didn’t want to seem too eager, pretending as if she wasn’t planning her move all day. 

Junkrat couldn’t believe his eyes. Was that Mei over there, greeting him with a friendly gesture? With a little smile on her face, no less? Was this a dream? He watched her sunk her face back to the book she’s been reading since yesterday. Oh, she was so cute, she was worried about him. Like for real, she bandaged all his wounds and now she’s waving to make sure everything is okay with him. He remembered all the little touches from yesterday. The way her fingers rolled up his pants from his knee. Then when she cleaned his wound with a wipe. Afterwards she covered her hands in balm to apply it on his thigh stub- that was so good it almost felt like torture. Her palm was so warm and soft on his skin, her fingers slippery, massaging him gently at a spot that otherwise hurt so much. Her hands on his thighs, so close to his lap…Too bad he could barely appreciate this at that moment. He wished it would happen again one day. Now he knew how her touches felt, maybe he wouldn’t flinch to her every move and could enjoy the moment. He glanced at Mei – she was also looking at him and their eyes met for a second. He quickly looked away, but he could see she got up and was walking towards his couch. He felt his heart throbbing in his throat. Why is she coming here, what does she want?  
-Hi… -she greeted her shyly and silently.  
-Sup Snowcloud- he smiled at her and watched her sitting down on the couch, next to him. She was so close she almost touched his hand with hers as she lowered herself. She was already in her pajamas.  
\- How are your wounds? - she asked, examining the bandages with her eyes. -Need replacement?  
-Nah, I’m fine, I have already put on new ones- he laughed nervously. -Feels much better!  
-I’m happy to hear that. -she adjusted her glasses before she looked at him. - Are you sure you feel okay?  
Junkrat sank into the pillows a little- he didn’t hear this question too often, and if anyone asked, it was out of mere courtesy, they didn’t care about the answer. Is she genuinely interested in his mental wellbeing?  
She must have noticed his hesitation, because she continued:  
-It’s fine, we can’t be in our best mood all the time. - she sighed and nervously started to tap on his thighs with her fingers. - Uhm, hey, I... Well, Mercy thinks it would be a good idea to talk about something that happened to me in the past... She thinks you’d understand...  
He perked up a little in surprise, his mechanic hand tightly gripping the edge of the couch, folding creases in the material. If it were flesh, it would have been drenched in sweat. She sat so incredibly close to him he could sense the warmth of her body radiating onto his arm and thighs. She was on his left side, where his limbs were intact and could feel everything – was this unintentional or on purpose?  
-Wuzzat, Snowcone? - Oh God, he cannot stop not calling her on these semi-cute nicknames, can he? These stray words just appeared on his tongue unforeseeable, and by the time he comprehended them, they were already uttered, irreversibly planted in her ear and memory. How long will it take her to realize the obvious, how noticeable is this to an outsider? That every single time he closes his eyes, her face haunts his eyelids? That whenever she’s in the room, he has to look at her, smiling unconsciously as he did so? That he wants her to like him, but he has no idea what she’d want from him, but cannot ask, because the only time he has trouble with talking is when he’s face to face with her? That this has been going on for weeks now, but yesterday was the tipping point, and he cannot hold himself back anymore?  
Her eyes darted to him, just to immediately glance away somewhere else - she also sunk back in the couch to get more comfortable. His stretched-out leg was sprawled across the seat, heels touching the floor, and now so was hers. They were parallel to each other and so close that they lightly touched. When his brain processed the intimacy of the situation, it felt like his skin was shocked by high voltage. He didn’t flinch this time, but remained calm, closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth that spread out in his limb after the contact. He feared for the moment when she will finally realize she has overstepped her boundaries, accidentally entering in his personal space. How many more seconds are left from this delightful, once in a lifetime experience? He expected her to swiftly pull her body away from his, maybe even mumbling a faint ‘sorry’ in the process - but it didn’t happen. Time has lost its meaning; he couldn’t tell how long it’s been that he’s enjoying the comforting sensation of her leg brushing to his own in complete silence. He breathed, slowly and deeply, taking in and immersing in all the warmth that this little touch gave him. He could stay like this forever and die as a happy man. Still, it was getting suspicious that she’s neither moving nor talking, even though she seemed so adamant when she walked over to his couch. He slightly opened one eye to glance at her – she was nervously twisting a tress of her hair around her index finger, over and over again, stuck in an endless loop, biting on her lip, not speaking at all. His eyes shot open at the unusual sight - his mouth opened a little in surprise. He mustered all his courage, and he slightly brushed her shoulder with his fingers:  
-Snowbun, are ya okay? - he whispered the same question she did when she sat down with him a few moments ago.  
Her pupils shrunk in fear as she looked at him, still anxiously fiddling with her hair, but she didn’t flinch from his touch.  
-No... – she shook her head. -I... I thought I can talk about something... something from the past...but it’s so hard... -she whimpered, seemingly all the strength left her body as she started to tremble. She moved even closer to him, the entire right side of her body pressed to his left, from shoulder to thigh. The indescribable heat filled his entire being this time, not just his leg. She slipped towards him so abruptly he didn’t even had time to pull his arm away from the seat. She was sitting on the back of his hand, his fingers surrounded by her warm and soft bottom. He knew he had to move it away once, but he chose to enjoy her softness until his knuckles get sore. He swallowed and cleared his throat, hoping that he will get his voice back by the time he opens his mouth:  
-Ya...ya thought ya can talk about something from the past, but it’s hard? I... I think I know how ya feel, Snowbird... - his mechanic arm clutched at the edge of the couch, his lips twitched as he formed these words, but suddenly, he felt her shifting at his side. He turned his head towards her, seeing his own reflection in her brown eyes.  
-What do you mean? - she said it under her breath.  
Junkrat wiggled his good arm free from beneath her, so he could start scratching the back of his head in a nervous manner.  
-Ya know, when something bad happens, and ya want to retell it, ya have to re-live it first in your mind to do so... Ya have to be brave and face it again. - he wedged in a little giggle as he took a breath to continue. - But they say it gets better afterwards, but I wouldn’t know, heh... never got the chance... nobody asked...-he glanced down at her, checking if she’s still listening to him, but all he could see was her eyes, locked on his face. She was all ears, yet he lost all his remaining confidence – I... I guess it’s because it’s not too interesting... nah, everyone had similar experiences where I came from... we all had it, so meh, it’s not a big deal. I’m not the type who likes to whine – he sputtered the entire sentence with a single breath, squeezing through every word between his teeth, ending it with a huff.  
-I want to hear it – Mei blurted out quickly.  
-He... hear what?  
\- Your story. I don’t have the strength to tell my own as I wanted. But I will listen to yours.  
They both spoke so silently that if someone tried to eavesdrop on them, they would have thought their mouths moved without making any sounds.  
-Alright...-he sighed, and took a deep breath and rested his hands on his chest, intertwining his fingers. He closed his eyes to light up an old memory, buried deep within his mind. He tried to channel a time when everything was happier, more colorful, hopeful and bright. When the visions engulfed his entire being, he knew he was ready to speak. How he used to have parents. He was just an average child. He knew from the news how the world was not perfect, but for him, it was flawless. The first words crawled sluggishly onto his dry tongue, yet he didn’t stop, but carried on fearlessly to face with the past he so desperately wanted to forget, but to no avail. The memories became more and more vivid with every uttered voice, by every passing moment. He told her how there was one day, where everything as he knew has ended. How his previous life was nowhere, his parents were gone. Every friend he had before, turned into an enemy in a single night. How he had to forget everything his father and mother taught him about decency, since it was a matter of survival to double-cross others. That he was struggling to stay alive, the unbearable heat, the hardships, the constant thirst and hunger, starvation without end, pain, blood and dirt. When Roadhog thought he was too young to remember the old world, but he wasn’t- he could recall everything as if it has happened yesterday, and no matter how hard he tried, it was impossible to get over it. He knew exactly what he lost when everything went down in Australia. He didn’t know precisely when was he born, but he felt ancient to witness a world crumble and collapse beneath his feet. He became a social outcast, detested by everyone, forever unpopular and alone. How he compulsively began to start fires, that made him forget about everything until it went out, granting him a temporary release. That he never broke a single order that was written in the rulebook of the Outback, yet he’d seem chaotic and destructive for the outsiders. Old habits die hard, and he indeed dragged this attitude with him everywhere he went in the world. He couldn’t shake it off, but he only ever hurt those who deserved it, but if they did, he hit them hard. How he didn’t consider stealing as a sin, but as a proof of wittiness. He also told her how hard it was to smile sometimes, but he succeeded, because he wanted to survive, and this attitude always helped. He stopped speaking, because he didn’t want to bore Mei with more details – he was afraid he’d already told too much, and she’d run away screaming from this crazed man. Maybe she had already left and he’s just imagining her warmth, that her body is still pressed close to his. He kept his eyes closed during his entire monologue because it was easier to remember like this, but also worried to see her reaction, her face, her thoughts. After a minute of silence, he suddenly felt a touch on his intertwined fingers across his chest – it was the weight of Mei’s hand on his own. His heart skipped a beat as he recognized the feeling of skin-to-skin contact. He opened his left eye, scanning for her figure in the dimly lit room. She was still so close, her entire right side pressed to his. It indeed wasn’t just his imagination. She really did touch his hand with hers, and in her current state, she was just as starved for physical contact as himself. His pulse was dangerously high, and he felt blood rushing to his face. He prayed she won’t ask him to continue his story, because he’s unable to - he’s spent all his energy on reminiscing. She didn’t say anything, just cocked her head to the side so now it rested propped by his left shoulder. Her soft hair brushed his skin, almost tickling him, so close to his nose he could smell her shampoo. He gulped, thinking he has survived so much, so why wouldn’t he survive this? He had to give it a try... He freed his living hand from the tangled mess of his mechanic digits to intertwine them with Mei’s trembling fingers. He did so painstakingly slowly, bracing himself that she’ll probably instantly pull away. But she didn’t- she let him touch her without saying a word. After a few seconds of holding her hand, he felt her thumb gently stroke a couple of times on his own. He was sure his heart beat so loud at this point that Mei could hear it. He couldn’t help but return the little gesture - he also stroke his own thumb over hers a few times, but as slowly as possible so the moment will last. He figured there’s no need to talk right now, so he just closed his eyes again, and enjoyed all his worries being washed away by the delightful warmth radiating from her. 

His eyes shot open a few hours later - he must have fallen asleep. How much time has passed? It was still night outside, but Hammond has already left, so the room was in complete darkness. He sat on the couch in the same position as before. He tentatively started to clench his left fist to find out if her hand was still there – his fingers curled and gripped on his own, empty palm. He sighed- was it just a dream that she came to him and let him hold her hand? It must have been – it was always so hard to tell apart reality from fantasy in the first minutes of waking. He strapped off his prosthetics, covered himself with a blanket, and laid down on the couch. He wanted to stretch out his leg in his full length to get into a comfortable position, but his foot bumped into something. It was so soft and warm, was it just a pillow, or – his heart jumped as realization hit him. Is it possible that Mei was indeed there before he dozed off, and she didn’t just leave after, but stayed here? He didn’t want to move, afraid he’d kick her, but he wanted to know which part of her is making contact with his leg. He wiggled his foot around a little - based on the softness and warmth, it was either her butt or thighs... He wanted to see her. He had to see her. He always had a box of matches in his pocket. He reached for it and lit a single matchstick – in its brightness, he could see Mei, curled up at the other end of the couch, sleeping peacefully. Before he could have taken a good look at her, the fire went out. In fact, it burnt his finger first, but he didn’t even notice this until darkness reclaimed the room again. He let out a faint giggle at the feel of familiar pain, hoping she won’t wake up. He lit another matchstick to continue watching her. He held it upside down, so the little flame could crawl up the wood, dancing dangerously close to his thumb but lasting a few seconds longer. He wanted to look at her face, how her hair fell out of the bun, framing her cheeks, but darkness came too early again to do so. Ow - he burnt his fingers again. He lit one more matchstick to peek at her nose. Just one more matchstick to observe her eyelashes. Just one more matchstick to glimpse at her thighs. Just one more matchstick to watch her chest raise and fall with every breath she takes. Just one more matchstick to look at her butt. Okay, one more matchstick to check out her butt again. The next matchstick is to glance at her... no, this matchstick is to stare at her butt again. Fuck, he’s shamelessly nasty but he didn’t care anymore. He moved his leg around, slowly and gently, not to wake her up, but to create as much friction on him with her bottom as possible. Ngh, it felt so refreshing on his skin, a new feeling on that scarred piece of flesh. He sensed the stirring in his pants - he was getting hard. Darkness filled the room again, and his thumb was sore from the burns - time to light a new matchstick. He wiggled his ankle, brushing it to her thigh and butt - every single touch sent a rush of warmth to his body that manifested in a throb at his crotch. His pants are getting uncomfortably tight, what if he’d just pull them down? He had underwear on anyway. Darkness falls. Pain in the fingers. He unbuckled his belt and the pants slid down his slim hips on their own to pile up at his knee. New matchstick so he could see her. She’s still asleep. She’s so cute. He’s still uncomfortable. The erection growing in his pants will surely rip his underwear apart – unless he takes it off. He’s covered by a blanket anyway. Darkness comes again. Pain in the fingers. He slid his sore thumb and index finger in the little space that was made by the waistband of his pants suspended on his hipbones. He pulled them down with a single motion – a small feat with only one hand. He took in the little sensation of the soft blanket caressing his bare skin that was otherwise covered up all the time. He lit one more matchstick to look at Mei’s face again - she’s breathing evenly and slowly, her lips slightly open as she took them. He watched her until his fire ran out, singeing his fingers once more. The room was conquered by darkness again, but this time, for final; he has burnt his last matchstick. Without no further visual impulses, it suddenly got very difficult to ignore that drop of wetness that pooled at the tip of his hard-on. He knew that if he tries to wipe it away with his thumb, he can’t stop there, and will continue stroking it until he climaxes. He was just obnoxious like this, but he was past having second thoughts about things like this. If it felt right, he did it, and faced the consequences later, if there were any. He took a deep breath, hoping that even though the air is filled with the smell of phosphor from his matchsticks, he can still sense Mei’s fragrance. Maybe it was there, maybe it wasn’t, but he sure could feel a drift of sweetness coming from the other side of the couch. He licked his fingers and reached down to spread the wetness all over his tip. It was so warm and slippery; it took all his discipline to not to release a small moan. He let out a deep sigh at the comforting sensation and warmth of his own hand over his skin. His heart raced at the thrill of Mei sleeping next to him while he’s doing this, but he was ready. He took one more glance towards the edge of the couch – his eyes got accustomed to the darkness to an extent, so he was able to see her faint outlines. He took another long breath – yes, he could definitely smell her delicious scent. He bit on his lips as he made the first move – pulling down his foreskin a little while eyeing the spot where he suspected Mei’s body. He rolled it back to his tip, just so he could repeat the movement again with a faster pace, as he saw that she didn’t react. His hand got drenched in sweat from the thrill of guilty pleasure, further contributing to the hot and luscious wetness. He grabbed on his shaft tighter, increasing the tempo a little, as he was thinking of her lips. They were so pink, so adorable, especially since recently, because they were able to form friendly words towards him. Would be so much nicer though if they were playfully brushing at the tip of his erection first, encasing a soft moan that would come from the back of her throat. She’d open them, revealing her warm tongue to lap around his most sensitive spot, drenching it with slippery sweet drool. Then she’d lower her head, taking in its entire length in her mouth. Raising her head ever so slowly to go back to his tip, just so she could repeat the entire act over from the beginning... As he was fantasizing about this, his hand on himself more and more felt like her lips and tongue. He tried to channel this scene and it became so real in his mind that a wave of heat engulfed his insides – the buildup was complete and he reached the point of no return. For a split second, all of his worries and burden were gone, he felt as if he was invincible and lost in space. The brief respite was soon gone, just to make room for the satisfaction and relief that lingered on in his body. After a few minutes of laying there in bliss, he became conscious about the sticky sensation of his own mess being splattered on his thighs, but mostly on the inside of his blanket. He should clean it up, but he’s so comfortable...He nuzzled his face into the pillows, and he realized there was a spare blanket beneath his head. Should he just switch it and wash the messy one tomorrow? He glanced at Mei, still peacefully sleeping at the other end of the couch – what if she’s cold? He grabbed the clean blanket and spread it out over her, and tucked himself in with the dirty one – it’s good enough. He turned towards the wall, trying to ignore the stickiness.


	7. Her story

It was early morning by the time Mei woke up. At first, she didn’t know where she was – not in her bed for sure. She was on the couch in the lobby – oh, right. The dreamy fog dissipated from her brain, and remembered all the things she heard the night before. She looked at the other side of the seat, but Junkrat was already gone. She was covered by a fluffy blanket – she definitely didn’t have one when she fell asleep, did he tuck her in? That’s so sweet. Her heart sunk as she recalled his story of lifelong tribulations. At least she had a few good decades before the disaster in Antarctica, but Junkrat didn’t. He never got a chance to really immerse in the joy of family, friends, carefreeness, relaxation. Yet nobody could tell it from his cheerful attitude, he just lived with his misfortune. She never imagined this is what he had to survive for years... She just wanted to hug him, to assure that there is someone in this world who feels sorry for his misery, even if it is just a temporary relief. She considered herself strong, but even her worst ordeal faded in comparison to his lengthy suffering. And yet she was the one who thought who had it worse. But last night, her entire brain basically just shut down when she wanted to talk about her trauma – she failed. She was weak, and she couldn’t face her past again – she was scared. But Junkrat sensed that what she wanted to say had to do something with hardships, so he grabbed the opportunity and poured his heart out to her. He was so incredibly strong… She was even more disgusted by herself that she was so cold to him for so long, and didn’t give him a chance to clear his name. She rubbed her temples with her thumbs – he was so sincere to her, and now she finally understood him. However, she was so shocked by his words yesterday that she couldn’t say anything to him, not even a ‘sorry for what you had to go through.’ She just stayed mute like an idiot - her breath was literally taken away by the truth she had to face. Did she hurt him even more with this speechless attitude? Is this why he left the couch? That little pat on his hand was meant to be supportive, but what if it wasn’t enough? Or rather…Did she really try to comfort him, or was it the other way around? She sure must have looked like someone who could use a therapist. Ugh, she felt so pathetic. She had to find him and apologize for the treatment she gave him in the beginning, and even for yesterday’s talk, since she didn’t react appropriately to his tragedy. Her heart was heavy from the weight of remorse and regret. She totally misunderstood him - she jumped up from the couch to find Junkrat. 

Boom. Heheh..   
There was something relaxing in blowing off the target bots’ head at the training grounds. Sometimes he didn’t even wait for the AI to clean them up, and tried to assemble them on their own, so he could smash them again. Mechanic, - and target practice at the same time – efficient and dynamic, just as he liked it. Boom, heheh.   
-Junkrat!- he could hear Mei’s voice between the blasts. His entire body perked up, dropping his slouching posture, and lowered his gun. What the hell happened to this woman? She is deliberately seeking out his company for the second time within a day. Of course, Pigface is nowhere to witness his most glorious moments.   
-Mornin’, Snowplum! – He waved at her grinning, and quickly disarmed his launcher so it won’t fire on accident. -Had a nice shuteye? Sure looked like it!   
As she got closer, he saw that she wasn’t smiling, her face was rather gloomy. Her heartrate rose instantly – did he do something wrong?   
-Junkrat. I’m...I’m so sorry - she lowered her head, persistently looking at her feet.   
-Oh no, what’s wrong? - he stepped closer to her, still fearing that it was somehow him who made a mistake.   
-I’m sorry for... for yesterday. I... I was just tongue-tied. I had no idea you had to live through all that, I was shocked, this is why I couldn’t say anything. I’m really sorry if that hurt you – she performed a polite little bow, and Junkrat was taken aback from the sudden display of the famous east-Asian courtesy.   
-Now hold on, usually I am the one who says sorry to others, if at all, not the other way around – he put his hands on his hips. He didn’t even understand at all what she meant. -Why would ya say sorry when ya did nothing wrong?   
Now it was Mei’s turn to become flabbergasted - this wasn’t just the usual case of cultural divide. They spoke the same language, yet an invisible barrier prohibited them from understanding each other.   
-You mean you didn’t get offended by how I behaved yesterday? How I almost freaked out? When you told me about all the sad things that happened to you, and I failed to assure you about my support?   
Junkrat was even more confused than before:   
-Wot? Do I really look like someone to ya who gets offended if he doesn’t meet the textbook example of courtesy? - he giggled, but he got more flustered by every second. - Ya listened to me, what else should ya have done?   
Mei started to fiddle with her hair, nervously twisting a loose tress around a finger.   
-What about the other times...in the beginning... I was mean to you, and you didn’t deserve it...   
-That was ages ago, who cares? Yer nice to me now, and honestly, I prefer ya like this! -he smiled and looked at her. She was even cuter than before...was she blushing?   
-Th... Thank you for forgiving me! - she bowed again a little, in gratitude.   
-Snowbell.   
-Yes?   
-I cannot forgive to someone who I was never mad at.   
Her face lit up from the relief, and weaved her arms around him in a hug. She was so warm and soft; he was afraid he’s going to melt on the spot. What an adorable creature – how could he resist to this? He also threw his arms across her back to pull her closer into the embrace. She was so tiny compared to him, she barely reached to his collarbones. The ideal height to rest his chin on her head though, if she lets him... but why wouldn’t she? He lowered his head so his jaw sat on the top of her hair – she didn’t pull away. He felt as if the wall that separated them for so long has finally crumbled and collapsed. He could hear her speaking, her silent words even further muffled by his chest:   
-Do you still want to look at my gun? Because...if you wait for me here... I can get it and we can shoot at targets together... 

That day was the best day in his life - if he wanted to stay optimistic, he’d have added ‘in his life so far’. They practiced aim together at the training range for hours. When they got tired, she showed him how her gun works. He was really impressed by the technology – she's even smarter than he’d ever expected. She even let him try it a little. Afterwards, they separated and Junkrat was seriously considering boasting about this to Roadhog, but he eventually dropped the idea. He was afraid if he mentions this to anyone, he will jinx it and everything will disappear like a mirage. When his usual bedtime approached, she popped up and they talked on the couch for a little. This made him relaxed, and she left when he couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore. This became a daily routine for them - they both realized they can sleep better if they perform this small ritual every evening. As the days passed, he started to feel so much better – the world seemed normal once again; almost like in his childhood. The colors became more vivid, the scents smelled better, the food was tastier – even water felt wetter than before when he was drinking. He even gained a little weight. Mei bandaged his wounds every day, so he didn’t have to twiddle around with one hand, and the results showed: they were all dried into scabs, soon ready to peel away on their own. The bald patch on his head was also gone – an entire inch of new hair, shinier than the rest, and he’ll be definitely more careful not to burn it off this time. But the best part was how Mei smiled at him – not just a polite little smirk, but her eyes gleamed and curved with her lips as they revealed her white teeth. He saw this smile on Angela’s face when he saw her with Genji on the first day. He knew that the spark was already there, the fuel too, but not close enough to each other yet to start the ignition. But how could a filthy rat like him initiate anything with a smart and pretty girl like her? If he makes a move and gets rejected, that would be a new kind of pain added to his long list of suffering. He didn’t know which one of these signs means that she’s ready for anything more than a hug. He also considered the possibility that everything Mei does to him has nothing to do with a romantic approach – she is just a caring individual in general. Meanwhile, he is so emotionally starved that he misinterprets her every move. Or worst case: she just pities him to an extent that she feels guilty if she’s not nice to him. Ugh, so difficult, should he just throw away all his remaining dignity and run for advice to others? Roadhog, Reinhardt or Genji? 

She was afraid at first what the others will say if they will notice her spending more time with Junkrat, but guess what? Nobody cared. She still had to get used to the cold reality that she is just a supporting character in the lives of other people, not the main actor. They all had bigger things to worry about than gossiping what she does or does not in her free time. Everyone had their own lives, even her, and she could do whatever felt right – and being with Junkrat was just like this. She was so wrong about him, she still cringed how she misunderstood him. She liked how he joked around, never failing to bring a smile to her face. It was always funny to come up with the most horrible puns together to annoy the others. He was also way more sophisticated than she ever imagined – he easily understood how her gun worked. She loved his voice, the way he talked was so cute, complete with his laugh and sassy attitude. He never pushed her away, always had time for her, no matter how stupid her problem sounded, and came up with a streetwise advice. She felt she could understand him for real – the Earth was full of meanies and he wasn’t one of them; he just mirrored whatever he got from the world. And if he got love and understanding, he became like a cute puppy, amplifying every nice gesture to an extent that could enchant anyone – Roadhog has already fallen victim to this. Also...Why did it take so long for her to realize he is actually pretty good looking? The way he smiles and his canines show, the long, straight, pointy nose that sits in the center of his face made him look unique in a good sense. He had such pretty eyes, a color of orange-amber, she has never seen this shade on anyone else before, but could look into them forever. So tall, lean and toned - his muscles clearly formed and grew on their own in a natural way, not fake and pumped up like the other guys’. She wished she could make his life fuller, but all beginnings are hard, and she was anxious. He had such a nice body, wouldn’t be surprising if he would find her fat. She was very insecure about her shape, and if he’d comment on that, she wouldn’t survive the humiliation. He wasn’t shy, so he definitely would have made the first move if he wanted… 

Weeks have passed like this. At least Junkrat was making a pretty good progression with his overall wellbeing. Another medical checkup was due, and Mercy was satisfied with his results. His sleep hygiene needed some improvements though. Considering the fact that he came here with only being able to nap for some hours during the day and keep vigil during the night, he was close to succeed. Now he slept during the night, could stay asleep for hours, and even go back to sleep if he woke up at the wee hours of dawn. He could rack up 5-6 hours every night like this, but only on the couch. Mercy suggested the logical next step that he has to associate sleep with his bedroom and bed, now that he is able to get shuteye at all. He still hated his room; he only used it as a storage, keeping the discarded junk he salvaged from God knows where. He cleaned it up a little by making his bed free and pushing all the boxes to the wall to gain more empty space. He really didn’t want to retire here for the night, especially because Mei came to his couch every evening before bedtime and they talked. There’s no way she will follow him here, so he has to say goodbye to the comforting feeling of dozing off while she’s near. At least they can talk on the couch before they separate, better than nothing. He couldn’t even think about leaving the common lobby yet. 

But there is always a first time… One evening, when they finished chatting on the couch, they were getting sleepy, and Mei was about to leave, Junkrat felt the strength in him that he is ready to head for his own place.   
-Snowpea, I’m going to bed – he grinned at her, trying to mask his uncertainty. The woman raised her eyebrows:   
-Aren’t you already there?   
-I mean my REAL bed! Because actually, I have one! Heheh! I am just not used to it! – he broke out in sweat in a second, afraid of sounding like a lunatic - Doc said it’s an associated mental block whatever… heheheh …so, now that I could get shuteye on the couch, I can redirect the sleep to the bed! Easy!   
-Ah. I see. Goodnight then?   
-Goodni... I…I mean of course, yes, you are welcome to continue the chat with me if ya want, I could really use a bedtime story ya see! N..no pressure, but if ya think ya have something to tell me, I can just listen to ya while I’m laying in the bed, ya can sit in the chair, I would really appreciate it, cuz ya know it’s really err…comforting to hear your voice… I mean hahah, I am not sleepy yet so please? - he stuttered this with basically a single breath, and his face got redder by every time he should have taken one. She started to laugh – is this a good or a bad sign? He was so bad at reading hints.   
-I am quite curious myself how your room looks like. I haven’t even peeked inside yet. I bet it’s a mess! - she giggled and adjusted the glasses on her nose with her index finger.   
-Hey! For your information, I cleaned it up!   
-So, it WAS a mess, but you cleaned it up because you expected me to come over – her lips curled into a sly half-smile.   
-Yes! I mean no! - Which one is the appropriate answer? He started to freak out. Why can’t women have just two values, 0 for no and 1 for yes, like how switches do, so his heart won’t jump out of his ribcage while waiting for her answer?   
-Alright! – she finally responded, probably because the panic was already getting visible in his eyes.   
They reached his door and went inside. Junkrat crawled into his bed after he took off his prosthetics and Mei looked around the room.   
-What do you keep in all those? - she asked, pointing at the boxes that were piled up at the walls.   
-Explosives of course! – he joked, but she already knew him well enough to not buy it, so she just smirked and sat down at the edge of his bed.   
-So, what did you want me to talk about? – she asked him, as he was making himself comfortable under the blanket.   
-Anything, I just like to hear your voice! - he answered sincerely, but got flustered by his own remark. -I…I mean, ya don’t have to talk of course, it’s enough if ya are here - he covered his mouth with his hand, fearing he’s making the situation worse with every word uttered.   
-Anything…- she repeated silently, getting lost in her thoughts. She suddenly remembered how she never fulfilled her promise to Mercy – she still hasn’t shared her story from Antarctica. This could be a good time, because then Junkrat will have something other than thinking about his own misery. But is she strong enough to do it? If she tells everything, her mind will wander in that icy desert again. She wanted to return there one day, but she wasn’t sure she was ready yet - her memories can take her there any time...She took off her glasses – where she will go now, there is no need to see, only to feel. She closed her eyes to remember a day that was over a decade ago, but to her, it just happened recently. She was being filled with the hopelessness of getting stuck in a snowstorm without enough supplies. The only way to survive is to spend some time in suspended animation until they will be found - but nobody came for almost 10 years. She told him how she somehow survived, yet all of her friends perished. That she looked into their half-decomposed faces for a last time, paying her respects. How the real torture came afterwards, feeling completely forlorn, alone and marked for death. Deep in her mind, she knew how she had almost zero chance to make it out alive, but she still clung to that tiny ray of hope. She recalled the unbearable cold, how she was so afraid to leave the station, since Antarctica is so vast, it would take her days to get to the nearest outpost. How she was so alone, but she had to go forward, where she suspected other scientists’ camp based on the radar images. All she could think of Amundsen, and how over 150 years ago with much worse equipment he still succeeded on a similar trip. That she almost completely ran out of supplies by the time she found other humans, who managed to nurse her back to health. But even after her successful escape from Antarctica, she had to suffer the consequences. Everyone and everything have moved on without her, 10 years have passed and the world has shifted. Yet for her, it gave the illusion of an instant change. She couldn’t track down her family – her parents were long lost, and nobody else was interested in her. How she couldn’t find her place anymore, but Winston and Overwatch were there, so she had no choice but to keep on fighting. That all she wanted was to save the world, but in the end, she risked everything for nothing, and now everything is much worse than ever before. How she cannot cling into that tiny hope of ray anymore as she did in Antarctica, because it’s getting fainter every day. That deep down she fears that Overwatch’s case is futile, and the day she will lose all her friends again is getting closer with every night, but she doesn’t want to survive without them this time... The tears that started to pool in her eyes have finally started to flow. She cried in perfect silence, without a single sob. Her body started to tremble as inhumane coldness surrounded her. It felt more freezing than the snowstorm she survived in Antarctica, but there were not enough layers of sweaters in the world that could have stopped her from shivering. This coldness came from within, and there was no shelter, no hiding from it; she carried it everywhere she went. The flow of tears was unstoppable, and they kept coming with every breath she took. But after a minute, she noticed how the top of her left shoulder is not as cold as the rest of her body- it was merely a little chilly. She clung onto this tiny bit of coolness, tried to focus on it, and it almost felt warm after a while. But where did it come from? She had to open her eyes, because she almost forgot where she was. As she glanced around, she realized that the warmth she felt in her shoulder came from Junkrat’s hand - he rested it there. Their eyes met, and she could see him slightly raise the blanket at his side with his arm stub. It was so subtle that she could have ignored the inviting me gesture if she wanted to, and he would have thought she just didn’t notice. But she did, and she could already feel her limbs moving on their own crawling towards him on all fours. He lifted the blanket firmly and higher than before, helping his stub with his good hand as she laid down next to him. She lowered her head to his chest, letting the warmth spread out from her shoulders to the rest of her body as she took in his heat. His left arm curled around her hip from behind, slowly stroking on that tiny inch of bare skin that was left uncovered by the pajama top on her lower back. That spot started to feel delightfully hot as she indulged in the small caresses. She couldn’t help but put her arm across him – her fingers found his hipbone and began to send slight brushes there with her thumb. He hissed from the pleasure, and tried to numb his lips by burying his face into her hair. She could feel the tip of his nose rubbing to her scalp, gently massaging her. She wanted more friction – she began to nuzzle her head into the crook of his neck, taking in that batch of precious heat that piled up there. She felt him moaning into her hair, stifled yet so audible for her from all the vibrations it sent down to her spine. She heard his heart, beating in the prison of his ribcage so madly she was afraid it will tear out. She moved her head downwards, trying to locate the source of the thumping by brushing her lips around there. When she found the spot that was jumping the most, she placed a soft kiss on it.   
-It’s okay. - she whispered as she kissed there again. She raised her head, nuzzling to his face with hers. It was wet from the tears that dropped from his eyes. He cried without a sound, unnoticeably, just like she did a few minutes ago. She didn’t know why, but she was afraid to ask - let it stay his secret. She wiped away his tears from his cheeks and planted a kiss on each side. She sunk back to his neck to enjoy the glorious heat that was already filling her from top to bottom. She soon felt his entire body shifting to the side to meet hers, so his stub arm can reach around her form and pull her closer. Her heart skipped when she felt the hardness of his erection pressed to her groin -he didn’t even try to hide it. Pride engulfed her entire being – he’s turned on by her and she didn’t even have to do anything. She felt irresistible. She felt sexy. She felt hot, both figuratively and literally. This gave her the strength she needed. She moved her head up to look into his eyes, and their lips slightly touched. They were so soft, so warm, and hers felt dry- she could not hold back herself anymore. She planted a small kiss there, but before she could have pulled away, he instantly returned her gesture. Little sparks of electricity flinched her entire body as he did so - she knew she wanted more. She stuck out her tongue to pry his lips open with it, so she could taste him. He moaned into her mouth as she rolled her tongue around his, slowly and softly to relish in every movement. She moaned back as her brain processed his taste – it was slippery and savory with a hint of sweetness, and felt smoother with every passing second. As if this was the sign he was waiting for, he got all his confidence back and pulled her into the kiss with full force, taking control of her tongue, leading it around his canines, his golden tooth, the insides of his lips. She took in all these new feelings as her embrace tightened around him, answered by significantly more frequent throbbing coming from his crotch. The pool of wetness in the inside of her panties was growing larger and larger. It was getting uncomfortable.   
-Junkrat?- she whispered to his ear.   
\- Yes, Snowdoll?- his voice was softer than ever before, she never heard him talk in this tone before.   
\- It’s nice and warm here, I don’t wanna go back to my bed. Can I sleep here? - she looked into his eyes that seemed to be glowing brighter than ever before. A smile crossed his face – it was just as different as his voice, gentle and welcoming.   
-Please stay – he kissed the top of her head and started to play with her hair that fell out of the bun. He gently caressed her cheeks once more with his fingers, and pulled her into the warmth of his chest.   
-Good night and... thank you… - she whispered as she was buried in those one and a half strong arms that she knew will protect her from every harm.   
-Good night, Snowmush. - Junkrat threw his thigh stub over hers so he was embracing her with his entire body. That night, he fell asleep in record time.


	8. Their story

He woke up a few times during the night, just to make sure he wasn’t dreaming, she is indeed sleeping next to him. He pulled her close whenever he couldn’t feel her warmth enough to his liking, and she just buried her nose in his chest, never stopping her dream. He was kissing her hair until he could go back to sleep. When his eyes opened the next time, it was already bright outside – it has never happened before that he overslept the sunrise. He felt so calm and relaxed; it’s been ages since he got a good rest like this. He didn’t want to disturb her, so just watched her snoozing, until he dozed off again. When he woke up an hour later, his gaze met with Mei’s. Before he could have said anything, she already opened her lips:  
-Your freckles are so adorable! - she giggled, and placed a small kiss on the tip of his nose. His tongue got tied - she’d been watching his ugly mug face and finds him cute… Is it possible that he has died in his sleep and drifted off to the afterlife?  
\- Heh. Thanks. Err...Good morning! - he greeted her with a wide grin, and wrapped his stubs around her torso. The sensation was just as real as the night before. He felt his morning wood pressing against her thighs. Oh God, he did this yesterday too - wanted to hide it at first, but he had no other hand to do so, so just rolled with it. She didn’t pull away, neither commented. There’s no way she didn’t notice. They stayed like this for quite a while, cuddling in the bed, without talking at all. Mei was the one who broke the silence:  
\- Junkrat?  
-Mhhm?  
-I have to work on the weather reports, I can’t stay in bed with you all day… no matter how much I want to. – she sighed and he heard in her tone that she really meant it and she’s sorry.  
-Of course, Snowdove. – he leaned in and kissed her lips.  
-C…can you look out if there’s anyone on the hallway?... I don’t want Morrison to see me here… I bet he would make a scene.- she spoke silently, her cheeks reddening. He couldn’t give one single crap about what others think about Mei coming out of his room, but he obeyed. He strapped on his peg leg and peeked out his nose.  
-All clear- he announced, and by that time, she was already nervously standing around behind his back.  
\- Uhm… I will come back tonight… if that’s okay with you.  
-Yes, yes. Tonight. Come back. – he repeated her words, but he wasn’t sure he comprehended them. 

-I’ll try to hurry – she quickly hugged him again and planted a quick kiss to his upper arm that was still grabbing the doorknob, since that was all she could reach without standing on tiptoes. He looked after her until she disappeared at a turn.  
He dressed up to his daytime clothes and went to the canteen to eat breakfast. His stomach was growling, but he didn’t feel hunger. He grabbed a carton of milk and chugged the entire thing, then put the empty box back into the fridge. He looked, but he didn’t see: he bumped into Tracer in the kitchen.  
-Morning, Love! You put on your shirt inside out! - she cried after him, he heard it, but he didn’t listen. He tried to open a door with his right hand, not realizing it is just the stub arm, and forgot to put on his prosthetic. He sauntered to the couch, sat down next to Roadhog. He felt his eyes on him, but he didn’t care.  
-What’s wrong with you? – he grunted at him after a solid minute of watching him in silence.  
-Nothing! All's great! – he glared at him and giggled with a far away look on his face, and his friend just shook his head accompanied by a huff. After about 20 minutes of Junkrat not saying anything, getting suspicious, Roadhog had to speak:  
-Did you get laid?  
-Wot?  
-I said did you fuck her? – he growled at him a little louder, and that brought him back to Earth.  
-Working on it. – the answer was short, but telling. He spoke with a straight face, in a hushed voice. The giant pigman remained silent, but encouragingly patted him on the back. 

-Thanks mate. – he smirked and grabbed one of the old magazines his friend always read. Roadhog just made a pretty close guess about what he did last night, especially considering that he tried to avoid the topic of Mei when he spoke to him. Is his behavior this obvious for the experienced eye?.. 

He couldn’t wait for the night. He took a shower, washed himself everywhere, got clean clothes, brushed his teeth thrice, yet it was still only 5 pm. He didn’t want to be pushy, but decided he will knock on her door at 6 pm. Shit, he can’t do that, he will look like a creep. 6:30. He anchored himself at her room. Surely if he asks her at 7 pm, that is not too early. 7:15 – okay, now he should really do something. He tentatively knocked on her door a few times. She answered it almost immediately.  
-Junkrat! – her face beamed with sincere joy. -Come in!  
He couldn’t stop himself from hugging Mei the moment he saw her. Judging from the fresh smell of shampoo and pajamas, she just showered. She cannot wait either, heheh, probably stood at the door so she could let him in immediately. Delicious. He walked into her room – it was so much more colorful, spacious and welcoming than his. It seemed it also had an adjacent bathroom, unlike his. There was a giant map on the wall, pinned full of old photos.  
-I am almost done. You can wait for me here, have a seat- she pointed at her bed. It was much larger than his, full of fluffy pillows and some plush toys. He removed his prosthetics – God forbid to touch her delicate skin with these crude and cold metallic parts. He noticed her drone, Snowball charging in its docking station. It suddenly dawned upon him why she used an old model like this… He peeked beneath it, and saw that his signature smiley face still hasn’t been painted over. He grinned at his discovery and laid across her bed fueled by a new boost of self-confidence. Judging by the lack of creases on the pillowcases, she just put on fresh ones – another obvious hint that gave him a rush of excitement. The entire mattress smelled like her – he would have never imagined he will end up at this sacred spot one day. Better than sitting on the throne of King Jamison The First for sure – he felt he’s above royalty. He glanced at Mei and her screen – he didn’t want to disturb her work. He squinted – that text she’s typing makes no sense. Is she even working at all, or just pretending? So precious, she doesn’t want to seem too eager to do raunchy stuff, even though all the signs point at that the arousal is evenly mutual. He giggled, understanding that she wants to keep up her image.  
-Okay, I’m done – she smashed her laptop shut with a thud and slammed her glasses on it. She jumped up from the desk, looked at him and her cheeks were already red. For how long had she been planning this?  
-C’mere, I have a seat for ya! – he slapped on his thigh a couple of times, insinuating that he wants her to sit in his lap. She didn’t hesitate and placed her butt onto his thighs - she even wiggled it around a bit as if she was just trying to make herself comfortable, but he suspected that wasn’t the real point. Damn, she knows how to drive him crazy and she enjoys it - he loves it too.  
-Fucking finally - he hissed it through his teeth as he wrapped his arms around her. The choice of words and the hunger in his tone turned her on even more. She started to swing her butt in his lap even bolder. He was getting rock hard and could not wait for any longer – he grabbed her firmly and planted soft kisses all around her neck and collarbones. She shamelessly threw her head back, so he could have better access to the white, sensitive skin. He licked around it everywhere, he didn’t want to miss a spot, nor leaving a single inch without a kiss. She moaned, enjoying his every move, seemingly getting lost in the moment. He had to let out a small, triumphant chortle at this sight.  
-Uhm…I’m sorry… but it has been… so long ever since I did this…- she panted between the words, trying to explain the seemingly abrupt change in her mood. But for him, it wasn’t unexpected: he was bad at reading signs, but couldn’t miss the obvious hints she’d been dropping recently. His lips curled into a mischievous smile, still pressed to her skin:  
\- I bet. That stuff you’ve been working on seemed super important – he teased, as he continued kissing above the collar of her shirt – You should boot up your computer.  
She got flustered, but instead of answering, she just grabbed his hand and put it on her breast, hoping this will shut him up and won’t press matters further. He gasped from the sudden generous offering, and squeezed it between his fingers, kneading around. She had no bra on... the possibility that she’s been planning to let him do this from the beginning was mind-blowingly hot. He had only one hand, so he used his teeth to gently bite at her other breast. He dug his nose into her softness to find her nipple. He pressed his tongue against it as firmly as he could, and even though it was covered by the sleek fabric of her top, he still could tell it was hard. He couldn’t ignore the hot throbbing that came from his crotch as her butt rubbed to the tip of his member. Fuck, if it goes on like this, he will jizz his pants from mere anticipation before anything really happens, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to feel as much of her as it was possible. He let go of his footing, so gravity could do its thing and they fell down to the bed. Now his lap was behind her butt, not beneath – he could take control of his hips to rub them into her. Oops, heheh. Maybe that was too much for her, because she shifted around so she faced him. She impatiently started to tug on the bottom of his shirt while digging her tongue into his mouth. He knew what she wanted and got rid of it, so she could bury her nose in his chest.  
-You have such a nice body – she whimpered as she kissed into his neck. He really wasn’t used to compliments, especially not ones to this degree.  
-Ya kidding me? – he raised his eyebrow in honest surprise and with a hint of doubt. It was still unbelievable to him that someone actually likes him, and she’s not afraid to put it into words.  
-I am not - she smirked at him. She leaned close and kissed him deeply, her tongue painstakingly slowly encircling his. He could only answer with a long moan as her wet and sweet taste overtook him. He started to kiss back in the same slow pace, relishing in the moment. He was shivering by the time she pulled away from his lips, and started to plant small pecks along his jawline all the way to his chin. She inched downwards to his trachea, slightly nibbling it, then shifted to his collarbones. She began kissing them from the middle, moving to the outer part of each side. She gave the same treatment to his pectoral muscles, following the little line in the middle, down to his abs. She lingered there for a while with her tongue, thoroughly kissing each of them, working around his belly button. He just laid there, too dazed to move, focusing on the spots that became hot wherever she touched. He could feel her breasts occasionally swinging and bumping to his hard-on. It made him even crazier. He thrust towards them in hopes to extort more friction from them, smearing his own wetness around his tip. Oof, this just made things worse, but in a good sense – her soft boobs made a formidable opposite with his hardness. He had to scrunch up his face, clenching his teeth at the delightful torment to stop him from screaming. He felt her slithering down to his hips, sending brisk jabs with her tongue around the pelvic bones. She was dangerously close to his most sensitive part, and probably the only reason her eyes weren’t poked out by it, is because he still had his pants on. As he was thinking about this, he unconsciously grabbed on his belt, but was afraid to loosen the pressure by unbuckling it. He tried to lessen the strain caused by the shorts by reaching into them, and adjusted his erection upwards, so it’s not crumbled up anymore. This couldn’t avoid Mei’s attention. She undid his belt, and pulled his pants down to his knee.  
-I’m sorry, I should have done this earlier. I hope it wasn’t too uncomfortable – she whispered. 

-Nah, please go on… - He pleaded her and laid back to his previous position. He was amazed how attentive she was. Being captive by only his boxers definitely felt like a relief. She still hasn’t finished with him – she went back to his lower abdomen, kissing the area right above his crotch. She made a little orbit around it; she moved down to the inside of his thighs, licking and nipping on each side, consecutively avoiding touching the bulge in his pants, that has reached its full size long ago. When she returned where she started from, she repeated the whole process, circling around his erection a few more times, just to make him lose his mind. He wondered when is it appropriate to start begging, crying or simply just ripping the underpants off himself, because this can’t go on any longer. He started to squirm away from her, because it was getting unbearable – she is torturing him and finds delight in his writhing. He had known since he laid his eyes on her on the first day that she wasn’t as sickly sweet as she pretended to others. She had a special place in her heart for him ever since they met, and instead of blatant hostility, now she was showering him with sweet suffering. What a progress though, she’s amazing in every sense. A sound came out of his mouth that was a mixture between a growl and a whimper, and hoped she will catch the message and grant him some relief. Thankfully she did, and carefully started to pull off his underwear. He was far from modest, but he wasn’t used being exposed to this extent. A shudder of shyness crossed him, and a sudden pang of insecurity appeared in his heart. Maybe she won’t like it, she could run away, or what if she’s just toying him?  
-Holy crap…- he managed to wheeze into the air as he was once and for all not restricted by clothes anymore. This gave him a temporary relief, enough to came to his senses for a second, and grin at her:  
-Ya like it, dontcha Snowdust?- he heaved as he lifted his head, his chest rising up and down in a rapid pace. She rolled her cute doe eyes at him, as she tucked a tress of hair behind her ear.  
\- Hmm...I don’t know. Let’s see – she teased him, still keeping the eye contact as she leaned down, slowly getting closer to his erection. Oh boy, oh boy, the thing he’s been fantasizing about is finally happening. He was afraid he will shoot his everything in her face the second her hot lips make contact with him. He covered his mouth with his hand, worried he’s going to make a noise he’ll regret later. He wanted to watch, to see it unfold in front of his eyes. She kissed the tip of his shaft first, just to get a small taste – he growled into his palm at the sudden burning sensation. It was more arousing than he ever expected as she covered more and more skin in little pecks, moving downwards all the way to its base. She was so gentle, her lips barely even touched him, yet every single brush felt thousand times better than doing it with his own hand. She stuck out her tongue a bit to give a small lick to its top, circling around the sensitive parts. She was doing the dirtiest thing he’s ever seen her, yet merely a few centimeters above, the most innocent pair of eyes looked at him, glinting with naughtiness. This contradiction alone was so hot that in the future, he will be able to get erect by merely thinking about this scene. She finally decided it’s time to grab him, mixing her saliva with his own fluid that was seeping from his tip, and spread it around the end with her thumb. She kept massaging him like this for a while, and used her other hand to stroke on the insides of his thighs. Her gaze never left his, taking satisfaction from his unfocused, thousand yard stare she caused to him with her tricks. He felt his strength was leaving him again – he crashed back to the bed with a thump. She just kept torturing him, always keeping him on the edge, but purposefully delaying the best parts, never granting him a release. This is his punishment for not believing her word that she likes his body… Now he’s stuck in a limbo between a beautiful agony and an explosive orgasm, and he’s at her mercy. If he had power left in his arm, he would caress her face, and gently push her lips onto him, so she will finally take in his length. But he wasn’t sure he could move anymore, so started to beg instead: 

-Mei love, please…  
All the touches ceased instantly. He could hear her body shifting around as the mattress creaked. Oh no, did he ruin it? Why did she stop? If she leaves him here like this, he will do unspeakable things – or probably merely cry. He opened his eyes, just to meet with her gaze, so close that her nose was almost touching his. She didn’t say anything, just shot him a glare alike to a predator before it finishes its prey. He swallowed at this sight, even though there was not a single drop of saliva left in his mouth from all the panting. She bobbed below his waistline again to finally seal the deal. She placed her lips on the very tip of his erection, slowly rolling them all the way down to the base, taking in the entire thing in her mouth. He bit into his own wrist, otherwise the walls would crumble from his voice. The second she reached his lowest part, he knew he won’t last for long. It was maddening as her hot tongue slipped downwards on his shaft, then moved back to the top, just so she could repeat it again and again, increasing the pleasure by every passing moment. Sometimes she stopped a little, so she could focus on the end a bit and suck that spot.  
-Mhhhm – she moaned as his flavor flooded her taste buds. She cleaned away all his remaining wetness with her tongue– he didn’t need it anymore, because she was busy replacing his fluids with her saliva. She was like this; she loved causing joy to others, and this was her favorite method, only reserved for very special ones. She hasn’t done it in ages, even if she didn’t count the 10 years frozen in ice. So, technically it was way over a decade since the last time she did this, and she missed it greatly. She loved how Junkrat turned into mush beneath her, and she wanted to see and feel all of it. How she can transform this ill-mannered misfit into her compliant confidant. She had to give something to this guy that he can treasure until the day he dies, and nobody can steal it from him. She loved his taste, it was something new and exciting on her tongue, like exotic sweets she’s never tried before. She delighted in the dozens of different ways his body reacted to her: little twitches, spasms, whimpers, moans, jerks, trembles - all brief, transient and never the same. And they told her a story without words – the story of how much he likes her and wants her. How long it’s been since he felt like this towards her? She needed a few months to realize how adorable he is, but what is his version? It probably dawned upon him before her. She has to ask one day… She found this entire situation extremely exciting; they were technically colleagues, the others had no idea what they have been up to - it was not forbidden, yet still a little dangerous. She pulled back the foreskin with her hand so she will have better access to the most sensitive spot. She lapped all around it, relishing in the smoothness of his skin as she was gently rubbing it with her lips and tongue, spicing it up with a moan here and there. She started to move up and down, increasing the pace a bit, but still going pretty slow. He knew he’s going to come soon– he already lasted longer than he ever expected. He wanted to warn her, but it was too late – his entire body tensed up. A second later, even with his wrist tucked into his mouth, a deep, hoarse and protracted cry left his lungs. He finally began to release everything he had. He thought it will stop here, but she didn’t budge; she kept sucking him until he emptied everything in her warm and soft mouth. She was still making circles around his tip with her slippery tongue, licking away all the stickiness in the process. Deliciously gross yet insanely hot, and he fucking loves it. He thought he has ceased existing, he forgot his name and identity for a moment, and left his writhing body on the Earth – he visited Heaven for a second. He collapsed down to the bed, but with the first surge of energy he could feel in his limp muscles, he reached for Mei. He grabbed her cheek with his hand and arm stub, and pulled her close, prying open her jaws with his tongue so he could feel his own taste on her – a tangible proof that this really happened. He reached into every corner of her mouth, moaning into her taken away breath. She came to her senses, and returned the affection by copying his movements. This was the most intense confession of love he could think of, and they both rolled with it. His dream had been transmitted into reality, and he was on fire from the blissful heat of success and fulfillment. He kept kissing her until his lips got sore, and when he plumped down into the bed again, he took Mei along with him in his arms. He nuzzled his drenched forehead to hers, that was also covered by drops of sweat. Her face was also beaming, brightened by that sweet smile of her she kept just for him. As she was panting over his uncovered and drained body, she looked more beautiful than ever. He grabbed her hand and took her fingers into his mouth to lick them clean – they were still wet from her own saliva. He cuddled up to her, and a satisfied grin appeared on his face when he muttered:  
\- Hooley dooly, Snowbean…  
\- Serves you right. That’s what you get for doubting my word – she scolded him whimsically, ruffling his hair with her fingers. – You no good bully!  
-Roight – he snickered into the crook of her neck, resting his head and arm on her breasts. He was happier than ever before in his life as he breathed in her scent. He knew he won’t have issues falling asleep tonight either.


End file.
